Kyiv, 30 June 2026. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine presented an installation by the "Pivnyk" Charitable Foundation, aimed at drawing attention to one of the least visible yet most widespread injuries of war — hearing loss among military personnel as a result of mine-blast injuries and acoustic barotrauma.
The centrepiece of the installation was the Vasylkiv rooster — the very symbol that survived on a kitchen cabinet in Borodyanka after a Russian strike and became known worldwide as an embodiment of Ukrainian resilience. In 2024, it also became the symbol of the "Pivnyk" Charitable Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting and restoring the hearing of military personnel.
According to specialists, hearing impairment is one of the most common consequences of combat. Although this injury often goes unnoticed by those around the affected person, it significantly impacts the physical and psychological condition of military personnel, their communication, and their return to service.
The installation marks a continuation of the cooperation between the "Pivnyk" Charitable Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, which has already yielded practical results. With the assistance of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha, the Hearing Restoration Centre for Military Personnel received a modern surgical microscope. The equipment is already being used by Ukrainian surgeons to perform high-technology operations to restore the hearing of servicemen and women.
"I am grateful to the team of the 'Pivnyk' charitable foundation for their extraordinarily valuable work and mission. Together we have already delivered important projects, and I am confident that even more practical results lie ahead in support of our military personnel. Such charitable work also has an international dimension, so placing the installation at the foreign policy ministry is more than timely and appropriate. We will remind foreign guests of Ukraine's resilience and of the opportunities to do good," said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
"Hearing loss is one of those war injuries that receives insufficient attention. We seek to make this issue visible not only to Ukrainian society, but also to the international community. Because restoring hearing means reducing the risk of PTSD, giving a person back the ability to communicate fully with their family and to serve their country," the "Pivnyk" Charitable Foundation said.
The installation was previously presented at the official opening of the Season of Ukraine in France. The exhibition at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is a continuation of the foundation's international advocacy campaign, which combines cultural diplomacy, medicine and charity in support of Ukrainian military personnel.