About 160 Ukrainian teenagers aged 13 to 17, who due to the full-scale war are temporarily living and studying abroad, have come to Lviv. They arrived as part of the nationwide project “Iron Shift” run by JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” and visited Lviv City Hall.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi met with the young people. He reminded them that this year the city is celebrating its 770th anniversary, spoke about its numerous universities and landmarks, and about Lviv’s role as a rehabilitation centre for wounded soldiers, where around 100,000 people have already received treatment. The Mayor also emphasised Lviv’s status as the “European Youth Capital”.
During the conversation, participants of “Iron Shift” asked questions about shelters in Lviv, mobilisation, the city’s preparations for winter, support for internally displaced persons and the development of the UNBROKEN ecosystem. Andriy Sadovyi also spoke about centres for patriotic education, support for veteran-owned businesses and the importance of Ukraine’s presence in the European information space.
“You live in European countries, so you are ambassadors of Ukraine. You have friends and colleagues of different nationalities, and you must tell them our truth. Because the Russians spend a great deal of money on propaganda, lies and fakes. You must actively counter this” — Andriy Sadovyi
For many of the teenagers, this trip was the first opportunity in a long time to return to Ukraine, see its cities and get to know its history and culture more closely. Mariia from Khmelnychchyna, who now lives in Lublin and studies at a Polish lyceum, said she joined the programme “so as not to forget Ukraine”. She came to Lviv for the first time, dreams of seeing the Opera House and riding a tram, and also noted the interesting experience of travelling by Ukrainian train.
Another participant, Mariia from Kryvyi Rih, left for Poland on the third day after the start of the full-scale invasion. She is studying simultaneously under Ukrainian and Polish curricula and is taking part in “Iron Shift” for the second time. She plans to return to Ukraine after finishing her studies and would like to come to Lviv again with her parents to get a better feel for the life of the city.
The “Iron Shift” project is aimed at developing talented Ukrainian youth. Over two years, more than 5,000 teenagers have completed the programme. The initiative is implemented by JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” and the Howard Buffett Foundation. Over five days or two weeks, participants travel by train through cities in western Ukraine, meeting representatives of business and politics, the military, doctors, artists and other professionals.
The aim of the programme is to give children who have lived through the war useful knowledge and skills, to broaden their understanding of the history and culture of Ukraine, and to show teenagers who are temporarily living abroad that they are important to their country. Participants in the current intake have come to Ukraine from Poland, Austria, Moldova, France, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Latvia and other countries.