26 years of unfinished conversations: Georgiy Gongadze Memorial Week begins
From September 14 to 20, the Georgiy Gongadze Award and its partners are holding a Memorial Week marking 26 years since the disappearance of the journalist and founder of Ukrainska Pravda. The program includes a public event, an educational lesson for schools, and meetings with journalists.
September 16 marks 26 years since the disappearance of journalist Georgiy Gongadze, founder of Ukrainska Pravda. To mark the date, the Georgiy Gongadze Award, together with partners, is holding a Memorial Week from September 14 to 20.
Public event
On September 16 at 13:00, a public event titled "26 Years of Unfinished Conversations" will take place in a shelter in Kyiv. It centers on the question of what participants would say to Georgiy today. Speakers include journalists and civic activists, among them past laureates of the award, a writer and human rights defender, a political columnist for Ukrainska Pravda, and the director of the Institute of Mass Information. The event will be hosted by a journalist from Radio Liberty. Participants will also honor media workers killed and journalists illegally held by Russia, and watch a video of memories about Georgiy.
Memory lesson for schools
Last year the award's team, together with a civic organization, developed a history and civic education lesson about the Gongadze case for students in grades 9–11. This year, distribution of the lesson to educational institutions across Ukraine continues, with materials available to any school on request.
Professional Dialogues
As part of Memorial Week, the "Professional Dialogues" project continues — a series of meetings between members of the award's community and students. Several meetings are planned in September in Kyiv, Ostroh, and Lviv with investigative journalists, a war correspondent, and media managers, discussing how the war has changed journalism, media independence, and the responsibility of telling Ukraine's story to the world.
Other initiatives
During the week, an information campaign will feature reflections from media and cultural figures about Georgiy, alongside materials on books, films, and the cultural context of his era. On September 16, Ukrainska Pravda and the Sens bookstore will hold a joint initiative, featuring a themed display and commemorative bookmarks for customers.
The Georgiy Gongadze Award was established in 2018 and is supported by philanthropists who are graduates of the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School.
