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!
A Home... for a Hundred Tails!
This isn’t just a home – it’s a haven for nearly a hundred “tails”! Here, the happy and restless Baton and Begemot, Rex, Kex and Bax, Zita and Gita, Busya and Frosya (and eighty more names!) are everywhere. Inside the house and throughout the spacious yard, where everything is created with love for them! Cozy beds and kennels, a mini-hill, and for dessert… a few soft armchairs and a couch! The “woof-woofs” even claimed the owner’s old “Lada” – why not?!
“All those couches, armchairs, and other items that sometimes get ruined by the little pups – they’re not worth a fraction of a minute or a drop of genuine puppy happiness,” says Mrs. Marina.
Helping stray animals is more than volunteer work for her. It’s a way of life!
I’m not even sure how best to describe her. They say the faces of “dog moms and dads” are special because they glow with an inner light. Mrs. Marina’s face is ablaze… And her heart is so full of warmth and kindness that it’s enough to warm everyone who appears on her doorstep.
About the house. Thirteen years ago, Marina sold her apartment, summer cottage, and garage to buy a private house with a spacious area – to give a chance at life to “tails,” to help stray animals.
“Even though I’ve always been passionate about the plight of our smaller brethren, I can’t say I planned to keep so many ‘tails’ at home,” she laughs. “I wanted to have one pet to give all my love to. That was the case at first, twelve years ago. Then I found a homeless puppy and decided to keep him too. More followed – my daily help to stray animals took on a life of its own. And before I knew it, I became the happy caretaker of nearly a hundred dogs and a good dozen cats!
By the latest ‘roll call,’ I have 86 ‘tails.’ But the number of my charges changes not just daily – but hourly! Just a few hours before our conversation, I took in an old dog – his owners had died. I had delivered a bag of dog food to the neighbors, who were supposed to look after him, twice, and when I arrived, I found… dry peas in his bowl! I untied him and took him to my car – to ensure he spends his days in love and care. And there are dozens, if not hundreds, of such stories. I managed to rehome some of the ‘younger ones’ to new families, and meanwhile, someone new appears who needs care. Such is the cycle…”
Marina can talk at length about the touching stories of homeless animals – with and without happy endings. Whether it was neglectful owners, rescues from certain death, or just picking them up from the street or park. They all share one thing – they need care, love, and attention, and they get it in full from her!
“You walk the streets, and first notice the homeless animals. Over time, people start to recognize you and call you when they see a ‘tail’ in trouble needing help… And you can’t refuse anyone or leave anyone uncared for. You wish you had more hands and more resources to help them all… Among the animals living with me are many disabled dogs or old ones living out their days, those simply thrown out onto the street or who were about to be euthanized… I gave them a chance at life! Some are blind, some limp, with various chronic diseases… Few would take in such ‘residents’ – but they too want to live, to live loved! Yes, caring for them is not easy, but their love and gratitude are worth it! When people ask me, ‘How do you manage with all of them, where do you find the strength and funds for all this?’ I answer, ‘The most important thing is that I have enough love – even to keep nearly a hundred dogs at home!'”.
Helping Stray Animals with NGO "Zooshans" – Giving Them a Chance!
“Besides my own pets, as the head of the NGO ‘Zooshans,’ along with our volunteers, we also take care of many homeless dogs and cats in Chernihiv, Ukraine: we handle their sterilization, vaccination, and find homes and owners for homeless and abandoned animals,” shares Mrs. Marina. “Help for stray animals is always in dire need. With the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion, we also started caring for animals who lost their owners and homes due to the war.
Last spring, even under shelling and risking our lives, Marina went around feeding homeless dogs in Chernihiv and cared for animals injured during explosions.
“Animals suffer not just physical injuries, but emotional wounds just like us, which need to be healed with love and understanding. I dream that all of them can find a new home and a loving heart,” she says. “There are so many homeless animals in Chernihiv today, and the hardest part is finding shelter and food for the dogs and cats that have become homeless due to the war. It requires a lot of effort and funds. That’s why I am so grateful when we receive help from caring donors – then we gather our zoo volunteers and distribute the food among them, and they each feed their ‘charges’ in their own areas…
I cook about 80 liters of porridge for my ‘tails’ every day! Even ‘technically,’ it’s not very easy – I have six large 15-liter pots for this. The porridge isn’t just simple, it’s on meat broth, and I add vegetables, always trying to spice it up. Cook, feed, water, clean, treat one, care for another – that’s how almost the entire day goes by. And just as I sit down to pet one – look, there’s a whole ‘delegation’ around me: pet us too!
It’s so touching and sweet. There’s always a lot of work – I’m currently building enclosures for the ‘new arrivals,’ and every day, my phone ‘explodes’ with calls: help, we found an injured kitten or puppy…
After feeding everyone, finishing all the chores, and being exhausted from the day’s work – it’s unbelievable! And when I finally sit down to rest, all the ‘animals’ gravitate towards me – some climb onto the bed, cuddle up next to me, others lie nearby like seals… And it feels so good! Seeing them content makes my heart full… It’s worth every moment. I often tell people who decide to get a pet: remember, they’re only a chapter in our lives, but to them, we are their whole life.
That’s why it’s so painful to see that while we’re saving homeless animals, someone is abandoning theirs… While the military, defending Ukraine, saves every life they can – often our guys bring rescued animals from the front for treatment and sterilization, people here, in the rear, just dump boxes of puppies and kittens. My biggest dream, perhaps utopian, is for there to be no abandoned animals and people who treat animals cruelly. But unfortunately, we still have a long way to go. What’s needed most for this? First and foremost – let’s be humane! Today, it’s more important than ever.”
