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Nika was born and raised in the beautiful city of Zhytomyr. After the full-scale invasion began, she became involved in community and volunteer work, and in the summer of 2024, she became an activist with the Ukrainian Students for Freedom. By that time, she had already gained experience in writing articles for media, organizing events abroad, working with youth, and completing nine grades of school. Having coordinated various projects, Nika realized that the ideas and values of freedom are an integral part of her life. She spent several days filling out an application and later received the long-awaited letter congratulating her on being accepted into the Leadership Program.
My dad said that values are what you fight for, not what you like. Freedom – about the fight for the future, “Ukrainian Students for Freedom” – about people who will fight side by side with you.
Olya was born and raised in Zhytomyr, which is her place of strength. She initially enjoyed drawing, but in high school, she became interested in photography, which has since become a part of her life. She is studying journalism at the Ostroh academy and works at the media “Ostroh.info”. She actively participates in conscious communities and creates conscious communities around her. She strives to live this life, volunteer, and be a worthy citizen. She rejoices in the sun and the strength of Ukrainians.
I will quote a representative of the NGO ‘Ukrainian Students for Freedom’ and a soldier, Dmytro Yevdokymov, who died defending us and our freedom: “Everything will be Ukraine, but to get there, we’ll have to run a pretty tough marathon”
Danylo is a USF activist. He was born in a city that doesn’t exist – Zhytomyr. After school, he decided to stay there and entered Ivan Franko National University of Zhytomyr to study Applied Linguistics. Danya is interested in literature, history and cinema. He believes it is his duty to help others, that’s why he became a volunteer at Caritas Ukraine. He learned about the USF in the summer of 2023 from a friend who told him about the Organisation and the amazingly interesting things happening in the Medzhybizh Fortress. A year later, in the summer of 2024, he became a USF activist himself.
‘Freedom is not just a word. It is a part of your soul, without which you will not be a fulfilled person.
For me, the USF has become a place where I have met people with whom I am definitely not afraid to save the world.’
Valeria is an activist of the «Ukrainian Students for Freedom». She joined the organization during the «Leadership Program 2023». She hails from Korosten in the Zhytomyr region. She is studying Law at Zhytomyr Polytechnic University.
For me, the value of freedom means the successful future of our country, which I have always desired and striven for. I believe that «Ukrainian Students for Liberty» is, first of all, an organization that can provide an opportunity to develop oneself as a person, to improve and convey the ideas of freedom to the masses, and to enhance citizens’ awareness of their rights and other social aspects of life. Since freedom is the most important value for people, we must ensure it for future generations, starting with us, and, in doing so, ensure a successful future for both ourselves and our country.
Victoria is an activist of the USF. Lives and grew up in the city of Korosten. Graduated from school in 2023. After school, she decided to engage in self-development. At the moment, he is not studying at the university. Joined the USF libertarian movement at LP 2023.
«Freedom is not in doing what you want, but in doing what you ought».
Iryna is an activist of the USF. She was born in the Zhytomyr region, where she studied until the 7th grade. Then she entered the Rivne Regional Scientific Boarding Lyceum, where she studied for a year and where she developed a great love for Ukraine. By the 11th grade, she changed three schools. She got acquainted with the ideas of libertarianism in 2023 at the Leadership Program organized by ‘Ukrainian Students for Freedom’, after which she became a member of NGO.
‘The values of freedom, which are the basis of USF, opened my eyes and allowed me to see this world not through the prism of uncertainty. The USF has a large circle of like-minded people who are always ready to reveal and explain freedom-related problems. I sincerely believe that the values of USF lead to the prosperity of both our nation and the individual.’
Andrew grew up and lived in Zhytomyr, where he studied physics at the lyceum and then graduated from Zhytomyr Technological College (at KNUBA) with a degree in Software Engineering, and then entered the 2nd year of a private university UACU in Kyiv for international economic relations. He joined the libertarian movement in Ukraine after the Student Model of the Congress, where he learned about the USF. Since then, he has not missed almost any event that took place in Zhytomyr or neighbouring cities.
Each institution is not some abstract thing, but it consists of absolutely unique individuals. And USF is, uppermost, people: even if I knew that this is the only libertarian student movement in Ukraine, I would not have joined it if there was not such an incredible group of wonderful personalities.
Personally, I find a view of economic relations in the libertarian ideas pursued by the USF because this is the only main thing that worries me in the actions of the authorities. USF opened a wide circle of like-minded people across the country, and in six months in the organization, I have friends in every part of the country. Besides, three of them visited me, and I came to stay at four of them.
Darka is a USF activist. She was born and raised in the city of Zhytomyr, where she graduated from the specialized lyceum, faculty of linguistics, in 2020. Since 2020, she has been a student of Zhytomyr State University “Zhytomyr Polytechnic” majoring in “Management”. At the same time, she is a student of the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute. She joined USF in 2022 after the Leadership Program.
‘Freedom is the greatest value for every person. It is a vital need for every Ukrainian. At least once in our lives, each of us has heard something like “you are a lost generation.” Such organizations as USF gather around themselves people who do not agree with these words and are ready to prove the opposite every day. We, those who know the price of Freedom not in words, are the hope of Ukraine’s future. Once a sage was asked: “how long to wait for changes? if you wait, it will be a long time,” he answered. The USF community is not just waiting for change, we are the driving force behind change.’
Oleksandra was born and raised in Zhytomyr. In 2016, she published her first poetry collection. In 2018, she entered the VNMU named after M.I. Pirogov. to the Faculty of Dentistry. In 2021, Oleksandra organized and held her first independent creative event. In the spring of 2022, she created her own project “SUM” – modern Ukrainian youth. The essence of the project is to give young people the opportunity to present their creativity: poems, songs, paintings, photographs, prose works. In the same period, the girl created a team to translate manga into Ukrainian.
In July 2022, Oleksandra conducted the first flight of the SUM in the city of Zhytomyr. The event included: an exhibition of paintings, photographs and a creative evening. In the same year, the girl accidentally learned about the Leadership Program from her friends and decided to submit an application.
In the fall of 2022, Oleksandra organized the second take-off of SUM, but this time in the city of Vinnytsia, which was assisted by the Vinnytsia branch of the USF.
‘USS — it’s freedom’s family.’
Tatiana was born and continues to live in Zhytomyr, where she graduated from english gymnasium. She is currently a 3rd-year student at the Zhytomyr Technological College, majoring in Software Engineering. The events of the Revolution of Dignity and their consequences strongly influenced her views and ideas and, having become better acquainted with libertarian ideas at the course “Svoboda 101” and at the Program of leadership 2021, she joined the organization. She is currently part of a small (yet) Zhytomyr center.
«USF is really a family that is not connected by blood, but by common ideas and spirit, what links all of us even more. It is an organization that unites people who can change our country for the better. Also there are people with whom you can laugh, relax and spend hours discussing various topics.»
Denys is an activist. He grew up in the city of four cultures — Berdychiv. From 2017 to 2020 he studied at the Zhytomyr College of Pharmacy after graduating it he entered the National University of Pharmacy in Kharkiv. Unfortunately after some time he realized that pharmacy is not his vocation therefore he decided to be transferred to distance learning. In that time Denys entered the UAL and found himself absolutely passionate about design. In 2021 Denys decides to join the USF.
«For me, USF is about struggle and change, not only external but also internal, about friends, community, hugs and self-building. USF is about freedom in all its senses. It is important to have a community that shares your values and is ready to defend them. This organization has become one of the reasons why I am still not an immigrant to any of the Western European countries.»
Elizabeth grew up in Donetsk but had to move since the occupation. Life brought her to the Zhytomyr region, where she is currently studying. Elizabeth is also interested in communications and PR. In 2020, she joined the Ukrainian students for liberty, because it is clear that the values of this organization impress her.
For me, Freedom is one of the fundamental values. I want to be free from prejudices and the opinions of others, and to create me and a better world around me.