I am the author of the Goodacity blog, a journalist, and a translator. For 16 years, I have worked in professional journalism, contributing to regional and national publications, both in print and online media. I have written reports, conducted interviews, reviews, articles on cultural, social, and charitable topics, as well as materials in the style of "solution journalism" and communication materials.
My focus is on creating interesting and exclusive content. Journalism, to me, is primarily about human stories, to which I always find the key, empathize with the people I write about, and love all my heroes. Journalism, to me, means telling people about what truly matters to them, informing and inspiring them. It is not just a job, but a way of life, just like for all those who dream, create, and are inspired by it.
So, if you are looking for stories that inspire and motivate, that instill faith and help find meaning while believing in goodness, read my stories on the Goodacity website.
I am a manager of cultural affairs and a project manager with over 14 years of experience at United Thinkers. I have participated in the organization of numerous successful social and charitable projects and have implemented informational campaigns and communication cases.
As a marketing manager, I have been involved in organizing marketing and sociological research, working with media and partners, developing advertising and marketing strategies, as well as planning and implementing advertising campaigns.
I believe in the power of goodness and I am happy that as part of the Goodacity project, I can contribute to its expansion. I believe in the power of words and in the fact that communication can help make the world a better place. I know how, where and when to speak in order to be heard. And when you are heard, you can change the world!
The Story of Baker and Defender Yaroslav Burkivskyi
His bakery, “Khatynka Pekarya,” survived the occupation of Bucha, Ukraine. It was looted and damaged by Russian forces, who used it as a headquarters. In the early days of the invasion, he baked bread for a volunteer battalion in Kyiv, and later, for four months, he continued baking bread for free for the residents of Bucha. Today, Yaroslav has joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces himself!
His name is Yaroslav, and he bakes bread.
“I was baking bread when the full-scale war began. I baked it for the soldiers, for people after the de-occupation. I baked under shelling and during blackouts, by candlelight…”
“During all that time, I came to realize one simple truth. It is very important to do something you love, something that fills you with love. Bread, for me, took on the meaning of life — not something abstract, but something real, deep, valuable, and abundant. As the saying goes, ‘When your hands smell like bread, it’s a kind of immortality…'”
His “Khatynka Pekarya” in Bucha never sleeps — while one batch of loaves is baking, another is waiting for its turn, dough is rising, and he, in the company of a blazing wood-fired oven, bakes bread for the people until morning.
That Was Until Recently. Now Yaroslav Burkivskyi is a Soldier in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“I prepared for this step and made the decision consciously,” Yaroslav shares. “In fact, all the guys who worked with me in the bakery are now serving in the military. They are where they are most needed…”
Currently, the “Khatynka Pekarya” is under the care of my dear mother. I deeply hope that the bakery continues to thrive and bring joy to people with its bread, no matter the circumstances. So, stop by the “Khatynka Pekarya” and enjoy some delicious pastries!” invites Yaroslav. Part of the bakery’s earnings goes to support various military units.
The renowned “Khatynka” is known not only for its delicious baked goods but also for the heart and humanity of its bakers. In the early months of the full-scale invasion, the bakery produced and distributed bread for free to the residents of de-occupied Bucha and anyone in need.
“For people who had survived the hell of occupation, that warm piece of bread they received was extremely valuable,” says Yaroslav.
“It was filled with life, energy, and the hope that everything would be okay. For the local territorial defense, we baked bread, and whenever possible, we also provided pastries to local hospitals treating our wounded soldiers — hoping these treats would inspire and support them. People often asked me about my motivation for such decisions. It’s simple,” Yaroslav smiles.
“I live by the principle that everyone should do what they can, especially in critical situations.”
“And since I’m a baker, and my bakery survived the hell that was Bucha, I felt it was my duty to bake bread and give it to the people. My friend Yuriy Boiko, who is now serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, joined me. We baked bread by candlelight and slept right on the tables in the bakery… It was truly inspiring because we knew we were doing something important and needed by the people. And for that, we received incredible gratitude from those who received that bread.”
On Familiar Terms with Dough
Yaroslav is a professional chef who worked in a restaurant and ran his own microgreens business. But one day, he found his true calling — baking bread.
“I explored many different culinary techniques,” Yaroslav explains. “I’m a pro at making sushi, pizza, and I’ve tried cooking dishes from various cuisines, including molecular gastronomy. As a professional, I always wanted to grow, and that’s how I got into sourdough bread.”
He started baking bread, and his friends, eager to support him, began buying it. Their enthusiastic feedback and persistent encouragement to take this up professionally led him to consider opening his own bakery. And from there, it all unfolded just like baking bread: the idea “starter” matured, and from it grew what is now, though still small, his own business.
The bakery’s space is incredible (if you haven’t been there yet, you absolutely must visit!): a charming, cozy, authentic clay house, complete with a wood-fired oven inside.
How did “Khatynka Pekarya” come about? It started with the desire to bake bread in a wood-fired oven. The idea was that this traditional clay house, which Yaroslav and his partner built, could be built by anyone. They wanted to inspire others to do the same. Even the fact that they had very little money for construction didn’t stop them: they baked bread, traded it for wood at a sawmill, and within two and a half months, the bakery was built — along with the oven.
It was a labor-intensive process that required physical work, but the atmosphere they created was priceless! Clay and straw — affordable, eco-friendly, and the dishes cooked in that oven are some of the best and most delicious you’ll ever try. Trust me, there’s so much life in fire — it gives it to the bread and fills it with energy…
“This was in 2020 — at a time when many restaurants and cafes were closing down due to the COVID pandemic and quarantine, we were doing the opposite — opening up. It was a bold and risky idea on our part,” Yaroslav laughs. “But people loved our bread, and business took off! Work was in full swing right up until February 24, 2022…”
Baking Bread for Volunteer Battalions
“My wife and I, from the very first days of the full-scale invasion, threw ourselves into the ‘life of war.’ We volunteered, helping wherever it was most needed. At one point, I was told that the entire market where my bakery was located had burned down. I realized I couldn’t just stay home anymore and joined the Korchynskyi Volunteer Battalion. And it was there that I was pulled back into baking bread! I baked bread for the soldiers, and that’s how I spent over a month and a half, right up until the de-occupation of the Kyiv region.
After the de-occupation of Bucha, I found out I got lucky — half of the market had burned down, but the other half was untouched. And it turned out my bakery was on the untouched side.”
Russian occupiers had lived in Yaroslav’s bakery and turned it into their headquarters. They stole whatever they could, and what they couldn’t take, they destroyed. They smashed the refrigerators, stole the baking trays, and left almost nothing behind except the oven and walls…
“I started trying to rebuild what was destroyed, thinking about what to do next. That’s when I was contacted by a baker from Poland, Jacek Polevskyi. He offered his help. Together, we came to the bakery to restore it and start baking bread for the people. On the very first day, we baked around fifty loaves. It was cold, the bakery was damaged and looted, and it was hard work, but we kept going, refusing to give up.
I made the decision that we wouldn’t sell the bread, but instead give it away for free, on a volunteer basis, to the people of Bucha and the nearby villages.”
“I explained the situation to my team, telling them that since we weren’t selling the bread, I wouldn’t be able to pay them for their work. They agreed to work with me on a volunteer basis as well. If any of our visitors were able to pay for the bread, we would split the money equally among everyone who was part of our volunteer bakery effort.
That’s how we worked for four months, giving bread away for free. We were supported by so many volunteers, soldiers, and people who brought us supplies just so we could keep baking. Someone brought firewood, someone else brought something else. And that support was what kept us going — it showed that people saw the value in what we were doing.”
The Soul of Bread
“A well-baked loaf of bread — its look, its smell, its taste — brings you happiness,” says Yaroslav.
“Every loaf that turns out well is incredibly precious to me. Because baking truly great bread is no easy task. The more time you give it, the more complex and extended the fermentation process, the richer the flavor and aroma of the bread.
The bread I bake sometimes ferments for several days — it’s a long, cold fermentation, and that’s what gives it that deep flavor you won’t find in store-bought products.”
“In baking, you’re essentially working with just a few basic ingredients — flour, water, salt, yeast, or starter. And that’s where your skill comes into play. I experiment with recipes, proportions, all for the sake of making bread that’s delicious, aromatic, and most importantly — healthy.
If anyone doubts whether bread has a soul, they just need to listen, once in their life, to how freshly baked bread ‘breathes’ as it comes out of the oven…
Bread is simple. People taste it, and you immediately know whether they like it. You see their satisfied smiles, and it inspires you to dive back into the dough again.
I talk about baking bread in the present tense — even though I’m now serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and not currently pursuing my passion. But I’m confident that after victory, I’ll return to it for sure!
There’s a saying that love is like bread, it must be baked daily. I think you could flip it around: bread is love, baked daily…”
