Ideas Day in Lutsk: Experts Discussed Urban Development and Family Policy

Оn July 5, 2025, the Ideas Day took place in Lutsk. This event brought together leading experts, business leaders, and members of the public to exchange ideas, discuss key challenges of our time, and foster collaboration. The Aspen Institute Kyiv and Yehor Grebennykov organized the event in partnership with the platform “Algorithm of Action”, MR. SCRUBBER, Hryhorii Zelenyuk, and Leonid Dzhulinskyi. 

“We are creating an environment where leaders from different regions can share experiences and compare local challenges with the national context. Through such dialogues, new ideas are born — ideas that can evolve into long-term change in communities, institutions, and society as a whole,” emphasized Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Kyiv.

Ideas Days have been held in different Ukrainian cities for the third year. They are a continuation of the large-scale Ideas Festival in Odesa. The format was changed due to security concerns. In addition to Lutsk this year, Days of Ideas are also planned in Odesa and have already taken place in Dnipro.

“We are united not only by the desire to share experiences but also by the readiness to implement the ideas we develop. After all, change begins with open interaction — and that is precisely what we aim to nurture,” said Yehor Grebennykov, co-owner of the TIS port, co-founder of Impact Hub Odesa and the Green Theatre (Odesa).

The event began with a book presentation by Roman Romaniuk, political columnist at Ukrainska Pravda and member of the Aspen community. Roman shared the story behind the book’s creation and plans for future work. In addition, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, joined the event online. He shared his vision of the future course of the war against Russia and his reflections on military operations carried out between 2022 and 2024.

In Lutsk, participants joined two panel discussions, focused on family policy and urban development.

“Family in Times of War and Change: Strength, Vulnerability, Future”

Panellists explored questions such as: What role does the family play in ensuring societal resilience during wartime? How are concepts of family, parenthood, and mutual support transforming in times of crisis? What can communities do to support young families?

Speakers included:

• Roman Grishchuk, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine
• Ella Libanova, Director of the Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Academician of NAS of Ukraine
• Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine
• Svitlana Strelyana, co-owner and head of the transport company Inter Cargo Delivery 16363, and of the NGO Sisters of the Road

Moderator: Yuliya Tychkivska, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Kyiv.

“Successful City: What Shapes the Appeal and Resilience of Urban Life”

The discussion focused on: What factors make people want to stay in a city? How can infrastructure, culture, economy, and identity be integrated into a shared vision of a“city for life”? What can we learn from cities that have become a “second home” to their residents?

Speakers included:

• Kateryna Spivakova, Director of Communications and Government Relations, KERNEL
• Marko Savytskyy, architect, designer, restorer, founder of Savytskyy Design, co-founder of the Lviv toy workshop“Made by Dad,” and serviceman
• Mykola Riznyk, Head of the Opishnia Territorial Community, Poltava region
• Yevgen Karas, collector, gallerist, founder and curator of Karas Gallery, President of the Association of Contemporary Art Figures of Ukraine

Moderator: Mykola Davydiuk, Ukrainian political scientist.

In addition, participants took part in a discursive forum titled “Lutsk of the Future.” The focus: What can make a city a regional magnet? What steps can strengthen its identity and help retain its population? Mykola Davydiuk moderated the discussion.

On the second day, participants explored Lutsk through the lenses of history, architecture, and contemporary art. Special thanks to Kateryna Moisiuk for an inspiring tour of the city and the Korsaks’ Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art.

Co-organizers of the Ideas Days: The Aspen Institute Kyiv and Yehor Grebennykov — co-owner of TIS port, co-founder of Impact Hub Odesa and the Green Theatre (Odesa). Partners of the Day of Ideas in Lutsk: Algorithm of Action, MR. SCRUBBER, Hryhorii Zelenyuk, Leonid Dzhulinskyi.

Background:

Ideas Days are a series of events organized by the Aspen Institute Kyiv and Yehor Grebennykov. The main goal of the Days of Ideas is to strengthen interaction and cooperation among representatives of business, public administration, local authorities, culture, education, science, media, and other sectors, and to support synergy and joint action at both national and local levels.

Through panel discussions on various topics, the Days of Ideas bring together leaders and influential voices from across fields to exchange ideas on the most important aspects of society’s development, especially in the face of existential threats.