On 19 September, the Ukrainian Educational Hub opened in central Cambridge, creating a new space for education, professional development, cultural projects and connections for Ukrainians living in the city and across Cambridgeshire. Representatives of the Ukrainian community, local government, education, business and community organisations attended the opening at Downing Place United Reformed Church.
Guests were welcomed with coffee and an art exhibition, while speakers’ presentations alternated with musical performances by Malva Voice for Ukraine and Vyshni throughout the day. After the official programme ended, participants stayed for informal conversations and networking.
Cambridge EduHub has become part of the network of Ukrainian Educational Hubs in the UK. The network now operates in eight cities: London, Oxford, Bath, Cheltenham, Chichester, Manchester, Leeds and Cambridge.
Over four years, Yevgeniya Zhyryakova and team have organised more than 220 online and in-person events, ranging from training sessions and hackathons to career, children’s and cultural programmes.
Yevgeniya Zhyryakova leads the UK network of Ukrainian Educational Hubs. During the opening, she introduced the team and said that establishing the Cambridge hub marked the next step in the organisation’s work with the Ukrainian community in the UK.
“We want our hubs to be places where Ukrainians not only adapt, but also fulfil their potential, inspire others and strengthen Ukrainian identity,” said Yevgeniya Zhyryakova.
Learning, working and remaining yourself
Mariia Kolomiichenko coordinates the new hub and is also responsible for Cambridge EduHub’s business programmes.
The hub plans to host educational talks and workshops, career and business events, cultural activities, programmes for children and families, women’s initiatives and professional networking.
Other members of the team will develop specific areas of its work: Mariia Vinchura will work on programmes for women and young people, while Nataliia Biliaieva will lead arts and culture programmes. Liliia Kost is also involved in the women’s programme.
For Maria Kolomiichenko, the choice of Cambridge has particular significance. The city, associated around the world with education and science, has become a new home for many Ukrainians since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Now, she said, the Ukrainian community is not only adapting to a new environment but creating its own educational, professional and cultural initiatives.
“Our Hub is not simply a space. It is a community of people united by a desire to grow.”
According to Kolomiichenko, one of EduHub’s aims is to combine integration into British society with preserving Ukrainian language, culture and identity.
“Wherever we are, we remain cultural ambassadors for Ukraine. Each of us is a living story about our country.”
The Ukrainian community as part of Cambridge
The Mayor of Cambridge, Councillor Maria Cleminson, spoke about the city’s diversity and her own connection to Ukraine. Her grandfather came from Mykolaiv, while her family hosted a Ukrainian mother and daughter for nine months through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
“During that time, we shared far more than a roof. We shared meals, stories, celebrations and everyday life. We learned from one another; we became friends,” she said.
Cleminson said experiences like this show that “inclusion is not an abstract policy or a slogan. It happens through human relationships”. She described the Ukrainian community as an important part of Cambridge and said the new Hub could help people build connections, develop skills and find new opportunities.
“Your resilience, determination and commitment to supporting one another inspire us all,” she said.
Daniel Zeichner MP, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, also addressed the guests.
He spoke about cultural diversity as one of the city’s strengths and about the contribution Ukrainians have made to the local community.
“What makes Cambridge so strong is having so many cultures — that’s a great strength and source of inspiration,” he said.
Zeichner also spoke about his work with Ukraine while serving as an agriculture minister in 2025. In particular, he referred to the introduction of a UK grain verification scheme designed to help identify Ukrainian agricultural produce stolen by Russia from occupied territories and illegally exported to international markets.
“We will continue to support you and your culture,” he concluded.
From university to entrepreneurship
Among the partners and guests at the opening was Andrii Smytsniuk, Associate Teaching Professor in Ukrainian at the University of Cambridge and co-founder and Chair of Cambridge4Ukraine. He became the first permanent lecturer in Ukrainian in the University of Cambridge’s history. Cambridge4Ukraine, which he co-founded, has helped more than 160 Ukrainian families relocate to Cambridgeshire since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Conrad Brown, Manager of the Business & Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) Cambridgeshire, spoke about opportunities available to entrepreneurs. The centre works with local small business owners, entrepreneurs and inventors, helping them take the first steps towards starting and growing their projects.
Ukrainian entrepreneur Liliia Pochkun, founder of BorschToGo, also shared her experience. She is also a co-founder of the Borsch Foundation and 11:11 Global Coaching for Conscious Leadership.
Among the speakers was Tetiana Vodopian, a family lawyer and mediator qualified to practise in both England and Wales and Ukraine. Her professional work includes cross-border family cases and helping Ukrainian families navigate the two legal systems.
The programme also featured geopolitical analyst and researcher Olga Reznikova, whose work covers geopolitics, the information environment, disinformation and artificial intelligence; entrepreneur and board mentor Oleksandr Torgun; and Dr Sergii Savytskyi, founder of SC Business School London and SC Consulting Group.
The opening itself therefore offered a glimpse of the format the EduHub team plans to develop: alongside cultural events, the space will host practical sessions covering education, employment, entrepreneurship, law, technology and professional development.
Songs, paintings and conversations after the official programme
Education and professional development were not the only themes of the day. Ukrainian culture was woven into the opening programme itself. Guests could visit an exhibition of works by Oleg Mishchenko, while performances by Malva Voice for Ukraine and Vyshni were interspersed with talks from the speakers.
Malva Voice for Ukraine performed the National Anthem of Ukraine at the start of the event; the community promotes Ukrainian music and traditions, organises cultural and charitable events, and helps Ukrainians integrate into British society. The choir is led by Tetiana Kysliak, an Honoured Artist of Ukraine.
The Sunflower Choir, based in Stamford, Lincolnshire, also took part in the cultural programme. From the beginning, it has been more than simply a place to sing: it has provided a supportive space where people from different professional and musical backgrounds can explore difficult emotions through music and find a sense of community.
Since February 2026, the Sunflower Choir has informally joined with the Ukrainian dance group Vyshni to form one creative community. Together, its members perform traditional Ukrainian songs, music and dances, introduce British audiences to Ukrainian culture, and raise funds to support Ukraine.
At the end of the official programme, the organisers held a prize draw supported by Ukrainian and local businesses. Among them were FlowerVictory, a brand creating handmade marshmallow flowers and sweet arrangements; Uliana’s Reset Room, a massage studio in Huntingdon; WTech AI Agency, which works with digital and AI solutions; London-based Zefirka Florist, which creates handmade bouquets from natural marshmallow; and UK docs and Tax, a licensed accountancy company supporting businesses and entrepreneurs.
Other partners included Tetiana Danyliuk / Body Paradise; Oliinyk Photo, which provided a photoshoot voucher; and My Candle by Kris, a maker of soy and beeswax candles.
The partners also included Honeyland, a Ukrainian brand that combines the traditions of Ukrainian beekeeping with a contemporary approach to honey.
Photo credit: Nazarii Sheremet
