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Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia: a brief overview of 2023

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Dear friends!

The past year, 2023, which was very hard for Ukraine, once again convinced us that Ukrainians are a nation of unconquered people, a nation that will fight for its independence to the end. This year has undoubtedly brought the Ukrainian community abroad even closer together. All our work and all our projects are aimed first and foremost at helping the Ukrainian people defend their dignity and their land from the Russian invasion.

Summing up the past year, we would like to share our achievements and the projects that, in our view, help Ukrainian newcomers in Estonia and long-time Ukrainian residents of Estonia preserve their cultural identity, foster unity and mutual support, and strengthen dialogue and understanding between the Ukrainian and Estonian communities. 

Since its foundation, the Association has held cultural, artistic and educational events aimed at preserving and developing Ukrainian culture, language, traditions and identity and enriching the life of the Ukrainian community in Estonia. Since 2014 the Association has actively provided all-round support to the Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom, and it continues this work today.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 120,000 Ukrainian refugees have entered Estonia – the Ukrainian diaspora has grown fourfold. As a result, the Association needed to create more integration, social and cultural projects to help Ukrainians connect with one another and integrate into Estonian society.


In 2023 new Ukrainian organisations joined the Association, which now has 19 member organisations! The newcomers are:

1. MTÜ Ukraina meedia Druzi, Tallinn  Juhatuse liige Inna Hordienko

Ukrainian media DRUZI, Tallinn. Head: Inna Hordiienko

2. UKRAINA KAASMAALASKONNA PAIDE SPOGAD. Juhatuse liige Vilina Hange

Ukrainian community society of Paide “Spohad”. Head:

3. MTÜ Ukraina Rahvamuusikaansambel Dibrova, Tallinn. Juhatuse liige Alona Duminika 

Ukrainian folk music ensemble “Dibrova”. Head: Alona Duminika

4. MTÜ KOLO, Tartu. Juhatuse liige Aliona Kuts

KOLO: children’s reading club, Tartu. Head: Alona Kuts

5. OÜ Gumor UA, Tallinn. Juhatuse liige Oliinyk Serhii

Stand Up from UA (OÜ Gumor UA), Tallinn. Head: Serhii Oliinyk


In 2023 we launched new projects, such as:

1. The Ukrainian Film Club in Estonia with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia.

The film club was set up in February 2023 to introduce Estonians and Ukrainians to classic and contemporary works by talented Ukrainian directors and to promote Ukrainian cinema abroad. Most screenings take place in Tallinn in the historic Kino Sõprus building, and screenings are now held in many other Estonian towns too! In 2023, 16 films were shown!

2. As part of the Ukrainian Film Club, in October 2023 we launched the Children’s Film Club in Estonia, supported by the Integration Foundation and the Estonian Ministry of Culture. Screenings of Ukrainian feature and animated films, themed meetings with creative people and discussions with young audiences took place in Tallinn, Tartu, Saku, Kuressaare, Valga, Kohtla-Järve, Võru and Pärnu.

All films are shown in Ukrainian with English subtitles, and for some films we have already produced Estonian subtitles! As part of Estonia’s Year of Cultural Diversity 2024, we plan to develop the film club further, subtitle most films in Estonian and select Estonian-made films for screening with Ukrainian subtitles.

3. The ethno-festival “Vyshyvanka Unites” in cooperation with the Estonian Open Air Museum (Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum)

The festival took place in May in cooperation with Eesti Vabaõhumuuseum for World Vyshyvanka Day and achieved a great goal – uniting Ukrainians and Estonians in the wish to preserve age-old folk traditions and culture and introducing each other to their heritage.

We brought together “under the sky” of Tallinn the best local chefs of Ukrainian cuisine, talented craftswomen from Ukraine who presented beautiful handmade items, and singers and dancers from Estonian and Ukrainian groups who entertained and energised the guests! The festival is planned as an annual event, so we look forward to seeing you in May 2024!

4. The first Ukrainian-language radio station in Estonia, DRUZI 

In October the Association launched another project that helps Ukrainians preserve their cultural identity and language, gives access to objective and independent information and strengthens dialogue between the Ukrainian and Estonian communities!

DRUZI.ee is the first Ukrainian-language radio station in Estonia, for Ukrainians living in Estonia and Estonians interested in Ukraine. It is a platform that brings two cultures together and lets listeners enjoy both Ukrainian and Estonian music and get up-to-date information. Radio DRUZI.ee aims to make Ukrainians’ lives in Estonia richer, help them integrate easily into Estonian society and keep in touch with their home country and the Ukrainian community.

As every year, in June, October and December 2023 we held the international festivals “Flowers of Ukraine”, “Northern Star” with the support of the Estonian Ministry of Culture (Kultuuriministeerium), the Integration Foundation (Integratsiooni Sihtasutus) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the festival for children and young people “Mykolai-Fest” (Ukrainian community society “Vodohrai”, Sillamäe) with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Integration Foundation and Sillamäe City Council!

See more in the “Culture” section

In 2023 the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia ran, co-organised and supported many cultural initiatives and projects:

and many other events.

See more about the organisation’s current work in the “News” and “Projects and Events” sections

To build cooperation in 2023, the Association’s representatives attended many partner events, as well as meetings at the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia, the Integration Foundation and the Estonian Ministries of Culture and Education, meetings with Ukrainian delegations in Tallinn within the project “First Aid for Children”, and the international conferences “From Security to Solidarity: Challenges of Integration in Times of Crisis”, organised by the Integration Foundation, and “War, Dictatorship and Human Rights” at the invitation of the Estonian Institute of Human Rights.

During a visit to Ukraine we met the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language of Ukraine and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University!

During 2023 our representatives were guests of local media (Postimees, Delfi, ETV+, Aktuaalne kaamera, Chervona Kalyna) and Ukrainian media (1+1, Hromadske Radio, Ukrinform), talking about the Association’s current work and projects supporting Ukraine.

We continue to provide all-round support to the Ukrainian people in their struggle for independence and freedom! Every event organised by the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia includes a collection of donations for current fundraisers. In addition, in 2023 we repeatedly helped run events with fundraising for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people organised by other charities.

Please see the reports and work of our volunteers in this area on this page.

How did 2023 go for the Ukrainian organisations that make up the Association?

We invite you to read the reports and activities of the organisations:

  • Creative association “Orpheus”, Tapa. Head: Liubov Laur
  • Ukrainian community society “Vodohrai”, Sillamäe. Head: Larysa Zhytnyk
  • Ukrainian Youth Association in Estonia, Tallinn. Head of the National Board: Volodymyr Palamar
  • Ukrainian art studio “MRIJA”, Tallinn. Head: Oleksandr Smirnov
  • Ukrainian community society of Paide. Head: Tetiana Poniatenko
  • Non-profit DobroArt Studio. Head: Dmytro Dobrovolskyi
  • Ukraina Meedia Druzi MTÜ, Tallinn. Head: Inna Hordiienko
  • Non-profit Art Studio “Anima”, Tallinn. Head: Alla Inno-Yakymenko
  • Ukrainian society “Kalyna”, Valga. Head: Ruslana Dovha
  • MTÜ Spilno Library, Tallinn. Head: Daria Šiaulienė
  • Ukrainian folk music ensemble “Dibrova”, Tallinn. Head: Alona Duminika
  • Mittetulundusühing KOLO, Tartu. Head: Alona Kuts
  • OÜ Gumor UA, Tallinn. Head: Serhii Oliinyk


We are getting ready for new projects and events in 2024!
We will be glad to see you both at our events and as part of the team.

Glory to Ukraine! Elagu Eesti!

7 February 2024