THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Every year on September 16, Ukraine celebrates Journalists’ Remembrance Day, established in 2007 at the initiative of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU). This year marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Georgy Gongadze. September 16 was recognized as the Day of Honoring Journalists Killed in the Performance of Their Professional Duty. Recall that during the years of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation into Ukraine alone, according to verified data from the NUJU and the International Federation of Journalists, as of September 5, 2025, russia killed at least 128 media workers. Of these, 18 died in the performance of their professional duties, 10 became civilian victims. A total of 100 media personnel gave their lives defending Ukraine in the ranks of the Defense Forces.
On this day, the invisible connection between the death of Georgy Gongadze and all fallen media workers is especially felt. The journalistic community honors the memory of colleagues who gave their lives while fulfilling their professional and civic duty. Events to honor the memory of our fallen colleagues will be held in the capital and regions.
Kyiv
On September 16 at 4:00 p.m., Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the OCU, Epiphany, will hold a memorial service for all fallen journalists.
The NUJU invites colleagues, friends, and relatives of fallen journalists to join the memorial service. Contact for registration: +380969432231 or [email protected].
Due to security circumstances, the exact time and place will be notified to registered participants the day before.
Dnipro JSC of the NUJU
September 19 – “Light a Candle in Memory!” campaign: in the press center of the regional center, media workers will remember by name their fellow journalists who became victims of the war and pay tribute to our comrades who have passed away. As part of a charity campaign to support the families of fallen media workers, the Dnipropetrovsk regional organization of the NUJU is exchanging old press cards for new ones, no longer with russian inscriptions. The funds raised will be transferred to Denys Yatsiuk‘s daughter, Diana. They will invite all colleagues to join the “Light a Candle in Memory!” campaign.
Denys Yatsiuk – a member of the union, former cameraman of Dnipropetrovsk-based Channel 51, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed near Avdiyivka in the Donetsk Region on December 14, 2023.
“Gather this day or the day before in your newsrooms, teams, and tell your media about Ukrainian journalists who gave their lives while fulfilling their professional or civic duty. Let’s pay tribute to their memory together!” the Dnipropetrovsk regional organization urges.
If you wish to replace your press card and join the charitable initiative to support the families of fallen colleagues, please get in touch with the Dnipropetrovsk regional organization of the NUJU by phone at 098-610-69-11. Fee – from UAH 200.
Zaporizhzhia JSC of the NUJU
September 16 – presentation of the book of our fallen colleague Oleh Shemchuk, 7 Days in the White World. The book was published and presented by his mother. The JSC also contributed to the publication of this book, transferring to the mother the funds raised at the charity auction, “Hand of Support,” which Oleh Shemchuk’s mother participated in. The event will be attended by the deceased’s grandfather, a veteran journalist, Valerii Poliushko, and Oleh Shemchuk‘s friends.
Additionally, a permanent photo exhibition will be updated by this day, consisting of two sections: Zaporizhzhia Journalists-Soldiers and Zaporizhzhia Journalists Cover the War. A photo of Oleh Shemchuk in military uniform will be presented. During the event, a film about Oleh will be screened. Poems and songs by poets, journalists, and writers about the war will be performed, including the author’s own songs, as well as those by the journalist, Honored Artist of the Arts, singer, and composer Anatolii Serdiuk.
Ivano-Frankivsk JSC of the NUJU
September 19, 11:00 – Ivano-Frankivsk JSC of the NUJU, together with the regional union of journalists, will hold events on the Alley of Memory of Journalists of the Carpathian Region – in the territory of the forest breeding and seed center in the village of Ostryn, to commemorate journalists killed by the war and Carpathian media workers who have passed away. The program includes memories of colleagues, honoring their memory with a minute of silence, a memorial service, and the planting of tree seedlings on both sides of the Alley of Memory.
Carpathian media workers by profession, veterans of journalism, IDP journalists who have temporarily resided in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, teachers and students of the Department of Journalism of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University and the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations of King Danylo University, family members of media workers whose names are inscribed on commemorative signs installed on the Alley of Memory.
Lviv office of the Unified Western Ukrainian JSC of the NUJU
September 15, 1:20 p.m. – at the JSC – presentation of the Remember project, which preserves stories of the dead journalists and at the same time forms a sense of responsibility for memory in future media workers. The author, Anastasiya Voloshynovska, a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Journalism at Lviv National University and a media worker, dedicated her bachelor’s project to preserving the memory of deceased graduate journalists. She recorded a series of interviews with the relatives and friends of five heroes: Roman Riazhskyi, Valentyn Prysich, Yevhen Hulevych, Taras Matviyiv, and Bohdan Markevych.
September 16 – laying of flowers at the Alley of Memory at the Faculty of Journalism of Lviv National University
Chernivtsi representative office of the Unified Western Ukrainian JSC
September 16, 9:00 – 10:00 – memorial service for all Ukrainian journalists who were killed as a result of russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine in the Church of the Three Saints of the Yurii Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, the former Residence of the Metropolises of Bukovyna and Dalmatia. The event will be attended by journalists, students, and public activists.
10:00 – 11:00 – meeting of the secretariat of the Chernivtsi regional organization of the NUJU, press officers of the Border Guard and units of the National Guard based in Bukovyna, with students of the Department of Journalism of the Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University.
Kharkiv JSC of the NUJU
September 17, 1:40 p.m. – online event with students of the Department of Media Communications of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of Fallen Journalists. Participants include media professionals, students, and teachers.
NUJU Information Service
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