The modern multifunctional hub "Veteran PRO. Zaporizhia" was presented during a working visit by the head of the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs of Ukraine, Natalia Kalmykova, to Zaporizhia. The hub, which provides comprehensive support to war veterans and their families, was visited by Hero of Ukraine, defender of Mariupol and Azovstal Serhiy Volynskyi, Head of the Zaporizhia Regional State Administration Ivan Fedorov, Secretary of the City Council Regina Kharchenko, and chief operating officer of Metinvest Group Oleksandr Myronenko. The veterans' hub was created with the participation of the Ministry of Veterans' Affairs of Ukraine, the City Council, and with the financial participation of Metinvest.
The new veterans' hub combines services for defenders, their families, and families of fallen heroes on its site. In particular, specialists from the Administrative Services Center, the Pension Fund, and the Employment Center work on the veterans' hub base, and qualified specialists provide psychological and legal support, etc. The hub was created in the Oleksandrivskyi district of the city in a historic building, where the carefully preserved architectural expressiveness is combined with the barrier-free nature of the new veterans' hub.
The new veterans' hub, created with the support of Metinvest in Zaporizhia, works and provides assistance upon requests from defenders of Ukraine.
The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Natalia Kalmykova, noted: it is very important when the locals understand that veterans are not about charity, but about the huge potential for the development of the region and the city in various areas.
Metinvest is today an active participant in the process of supporting and reintegration of veterans, as more than a thousand of the Company's employees have already returned from the front to civilian life, to the teams of the Group's enterprises in Zaporizhia, Kryvyi Rih and Kamianske. Metinvest has created an ecosystem for working with veterans, which is not a separate direction, but a comprehensive approach to all work processes.
"Veteran-centricity and true respect for the heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian war are values that should be embodied in concrete applied solutions. Creating a single space where a veteran, his family or the family of a fallen hero can receive the necessary support and assistance is one of such steps towards this. Metinvest is involved in socially significant projects in the regions of its presence, which are aimed at supporting veterans and their families, as well as worthy tribute to the fallen defenders of Ukraine. We are already helping the Zaporizhia community in implementing the following veteran policy projects," emphasized Oleksandr Myronenko, chief operating officer of Metinvest Group.
The Veterans Hub supported the initiative of the Hero of Ukraine, defender of Mariupol and Azovstal, Serhiy Volynskyi, and hung out the "Flag of Hope" in memory of Ukrainians who are in captivity or missing
Also during the event, Hero of Ukraine Serhiy Volynskyi spoke about the black and white "Flag of Hope" placed on the Veterans Hub building, which symbolizes a reminder of Ukrainians who are in captivity or missing, and the hope for their return home.
Honoring the memory of the defenders who gave their lives in the fight for Ukraine, Natalia Kalmykova laid flowers at the "Tree of Memory" memorial. It should be noted that Metinvest Group financed the creation of the "Tree of Memory" memorial installation in Zaporizhzhia, dedicated to the fallen defenders of Ukraine. The author of the idea was Ukrainian production designer, actor and theater director, and currently serving in the military Dmytro Kostyuminsky.