Svoi.City

Svoi.city is a digital magazine covering life in the east of Ukraine and publishing information about the war, the struggle of eastern Ukrainian, and eyewitness testimonies. The newsroom also reports on people who defend, rebuild, and create Ukraine and the stories of those fellow IDPs. Furthermore, it publishes information on the rules of life under the occupation and current feelings, emotions, and hopes for the future. The stories are told plainly, without embellishment and information noise.

The media outlet rejects Russian propaganda and targets residents of the occupied cities believing in the Ukrainian East. That includes activists, journalists, IDPs who left their towns, and representatives of diplomatic missions who want to understand the daily challenges faced by residents of the east and IDPs.

It was founded in 2018 by the local media development agency ABO. The media outlet aimed to publish stories about the development of cities in eastern Ukraine (Kramatorsk, Severodonetsk, and Mariupol) during massive investments in infrastructure, education, and civil society.

However, following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the team had to move to safer places. Its mission is to help the audience move through the country and inform them about the ever-changing "rules and regulations" and the possibilities of leaving occupied Donetsk and Lugansk. It also seeks to enlighten the audience about renewal, healing narratives, human stories of overcoming trauma, and how people in the area find a way to move forward.