Key Points
- Four Ukrainian Australian corporate executives helped establish a rehabilitation centre in Kyiv treating people affected by limb loss.
- Among the patients is six-year-old Marina, who lost her leg when Russian forces bombarded her hometown in southern Ukraine.
- The centre has helped 1,400 patients, but its director says this number is ‘just a drop in the ocean’.
Six-year-old Marina lost her leg when Russian forces bombarded her small town in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine in 2022, while her mother suffered shrapnel injuries.
Marina and her mother underwent rehabilitation at a centre established in Kyiv through the collaborative efforts of four Ukrainian Australians: Anatoly Kirievsky, Victor German, Alex Vynokur and Vlad Bilanovsky.
The rehabilitation centre in Kyiv treats about 70 patients per day. Credit: Supplied by Svetlana Pelykh
Leveraging their extensive corporate experience and network, they launched the United Ukraine Appeal in Australia, raising over $3 million in the past financial year.
They allocated $400,000 for producing and delivering food in devastated cities and villages and another $100,000 for ambulances and cars for transporting the wounded.
The rehabilitation centre costs about $80,000 per month to operate. Credit: Supplied by Svetlana Pelykh
The foundation
Anatoly Kirievsky, one of the four founders, said many people wanted to donate money soon after the war began. But their efforts were somewhat disorganised.
"Our idea was to change that and find projects that could make a bigger impact," Kirievsky told SBS Russian.
Kirievsky, born in Kyiv, began his career at the Reserve Bank of Australia before assuming roles in various financial institutions.
He is currently the General Manager of Enterprise Compliance at the Australian Stock Exchange.
The other three founders also hold significant positions.
Alex Vynokur is the CEO of BetaShares, Victor German is the Managing Director at Macquarie Group, and Vlad Bilanovsky is the Chief Execution Officer of WiseTech Global.
The rehabilitation centre
Alexei Kovalevsky arrived at the centre in a wheelchair with a spinal injury and a stroke, with little hope of regaining mobility.
Kovalevsky underwent rehabilitation for nearly a year, and thanks to the staff at the centre, he has learned how to walk using prosthetics.
Without any support, he took his daughter to school at the beginning of a new school year in Ukraine on 1 September.
A patient receives treatment at the rehabilitation centre in Kyiv. Credit: Supplied by Svetlana Pelykh
Svetlana Pelykh, director of the rehabilitation centre, told SBS Russian from Kyiv that they have assisted more than 1,400 people with mental health and rehabilitation services in the Ukrainian capital alone.
"But this number is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the total number of amputees in Ukraine,” Pelykh said.
The rehabilitation centre treats civilians and military personnel. Credit: Supplied by Svetlana Pelykh
Usually a rehabilitation course lasts for 28 days, she explained, with patients coming to the centre six days a week to work on stretching, flexibility and movement development.
Some, like Marina, will periodically undergo rehabilitation in the future.
"Because she is a child, she is growing, she will need to constantly change the prosthesis and it is our job to help her adapt," Pelykh said.
Kirievsky, one of the founders of the United Ukraine Appeal, said it was getting tough to raise money as people are tired of the war.
"That is why philanthropists now rely more on corporate donations," Kirievsky said.
