Founder

I founded Circle of Hearts in April 2022 in the wake of so many displaced children and families forced to leave their homes due to the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Combining my interests and background in education, art and pedagogy, I have experienced first-hand the transformative power of creativity in the learning and healing process. Whether it's using photography to explore complex social issues, integrating art into individual expression, or simply encouraging children and families to express themselves through writing, painting, carving and drawing - there are countless ways to integrate creativity into healing processed, learning and community building.

In my experience, the most effective learning environments are those that allow for a mix of different educational and artistic expressions. By bringing together different disciplines, we can foster critical thinking skills, improve communication and collaboration, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around us.

I am delighted to have found Viktoriia and Ivan with whom I am now organising our Circle of Hearts.

Whether you are a Berliner who would like to contribute your time and creativity to a supportive social interaction, a student who would like to share your artistic side with our guests, or simply someone who is interested in helping where help is needed, I would be happy to talk to you about whether we can develop something original together!

I am Ukrainian who lived abroad for the past 11 years, the last three I am based in Berlin. I am a Psychologist and Psychotherapist, who have always been interested in educational methods and the importance of psychosocial development of individuals.

Since a full-scale invasion started, I spent a few weeks in shock figuring out where to apply myself - and then settled that I should focus on mental health of volunteers and refugees, so I quitted my other job to keep focus. When Alex reached out to me in March with his idea, I immediately felt that this is something I would love to immerse myself into. Through this whole devastating year, Circle of Hearts became the source of joy and light. Giving to this community is an incredibly rewarding process.

I am so grateful to witness how this place became a harbour of safety, care and joy for a few hundreds of families over this year - it was precious to see how kids open up and begin to explore freely, create, mix media, become more confident and comfortable in the new environment, at the same time seeing how mothers have time to breath out, connect and bring their energies into creating.

I am thankful to have this meaningful opportunity to be able to support and connect with so many people.

I am from Ukraine and have been living in Germany for the past 6 years. My educational background is in Business and my calling is Photography.

When a full-scale invasion started, just as many others, I was lost and didn’t know where it is best to apply myself and was doing a little bit of everything. Growing up in post-soviet reality, as a child I had lots of limits and restrictions for my expression. The aftermath of this I am still experiencing right now. When Alex introduced his idea and invited to be part of the journey, I enthusiastically jumped in, as I deeply understand the importance of freedom and freedom to express as a child - this is what makes me so passionate about this project. Seeing how children are learning to push their boundaries, be brave in expressing themselves and having so many diverse opportunities to do so, sparks me, and I greatly enjoy following the children’s drive.

It feels me with happiness and meaning to be able to be part of this journey.