From Urgency to Continuity

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, everything changed. Overnight, thousands of civil society professionals found themselves displaced, separated from their teams, or operating under constant threat. Their work — supporting vulnerable communities, upholding democratic values, and rebuilding trust — became both more difficult and more essential than ever.

In response to this crisis, Vidnova was founded — not as a single program, but as a commitment:

To stand with Ukrainian civil society not just in a moment of emergency, but over the long arc of recovery.

To ensure that professionals and initiatives could remain active, connected, and capable — wherever they were.

To focus on both surviving today and sustaining tomorrow.

What began as the Vidnova Fellowship for displaced civil society professionals quickly grew into a broader ecosystem of support. Over time, new programs emerged in response to new needs — for research and coordination, for practical funding, for local presence, for learning and community.

Two Program Pillars. One Commitment.

Today, we run two program pillars:

1

Vidnova is a program born out of solidarity with Ukrainian civil society. It supports people who have been displaced, disrupted, or uprooted by war – helping them reconnect, rebuild, and continue their vital work across Europe and Ukraine.

Through five program lines —

— Vidnova offers space, resources, and community to those shaping a just and resilient future.

2

Vidnova Plus is about belonging, rebuilding, and reconnecting. It supports Ukrainians in Berlin and Brandenburg as they find their place, share their voices, and shape new beginnings.

The program includes two lines —

— offering space for skill-building, participation, and deep exchange between refugee professionals, diaspora actors, and local partners.

Across both containers, Vidnova creates spaces where people meet, trust is built, and cooperation can flourish — even in uncertainty. We accompany individuals, teams, and organizations on their paths of adaptation, reorientation, and impact.

We believe that recovery does not begin when the war ends — it begins within it.