Individual retreats for women in media were made possible with the support of the Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism.
Ukrainian female journalists regularly face online attacks because of their professional activities. Such experiences are often stressful and can negatively affect their emotional well-being.
During Women in Media’s individual retreats, ten media professionals who had experienced online violence were given a chance to recharge and relax in the resort town of Truskavets, in the Lviv region. Truskavets is famous for its mineral water spring and a wide variety of wellness and spa treatments.
Changing the scenery and enjoying the treatments
Freelance journalist Maryna Mukhina has faced online attacks, including sexualized harassment and hate speech, since leaving the occupied town of Starobilsk. In August 2025, thanks to the support of Women in Media, she had the opportunity to visit Truskavets with her young daughter.
“The message about this opportunity came unexpectedly. When I read it, I was so happy and immediately wrote back that I was going. Three days. It might not sound like much, but it was enough to change the scenery, enjoy the spa treatments, and take a breath. The girls organized everything. All I had to do was board the train and arrive,” wrote Maryna Mukhina in her feedback about the trip.
In July 2025, Inna Vedernikova, editor at Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, reported a smear campaign launched against her and her husband, a serviceman in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, spread through Telegram channels.
“Absolutely unexpectedly, after a rather difficult summer, when I was attacked not only by Telegram ‘ticks’ but also by an actual tick that gifted me all the symptoms of Lyme disease, I received a message from Liza Kuzmenko of Women in Media. She had a perfect sense that I needed to relax,” says Inna Vedernikova. “A couple of weeks later, I was already in Truskavets, walking down the corridor of a spa hotel. Pool, sauna, massage — and, of course, my beloved work was with me, as well as everything that makes Truskavets breathe and live.”
It was Inna’s first visit to Truskavets, and she was captivated by the town’s nature: the large park, flowers, and autumn mood:
“I’m grateful to my colleagues for the opportunity to feel the heartbeat of a city I had never been to before. To exhale. To reflect. To open myself to the sun. And to once again believe — in life, in the meaning of our struggle, in our people, whom we should treat with respect because we never know what battle they’re fighting in their own soul. The war hasn’t cancelled the unfolding of our fates with their challenges. But we know what fight we are fighting together.”
Oleksandra Hubytska, project manager and co-founder of NGL.media, which has also been targeted by online attacks, spent her retreat in Truskavets with her mother:
“Recently, I had a mini-vacation in Truskavets thanks to Women in Media — and with my mom, too, since we hadn’t seen each other for a long time.”
“A perfect place to go to take your mind off things”
“A few days without social media and almost without my phone. I really needed that. Sometimes the hate and harassment online hit harder than any news. This support from Women in Media came at the right time and meant a lot. A little time for myself in Truskavets — and I’m back in the game. And I also realized I’ve grown up — I now choose Naftusia water with a smile instead of a glass of prosecco. Thank you, Women in Media and Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, for your support and for reminding us that taking care of ourselves matters too,” said Solomiia Vitvitska, TSN anchor on 1+1.
During her broadcasts, she often faces online attacks, including comments about her appearance. Women in Media had previously documented an attack against Vitvitska that used artificial intelligence.
Mariana Pietsukh, reporter at Hromadske, is also regularly attacked online for her materials about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), the war, and national identity, with people often commenting negatively on her appearance. With Women in Media’s support, she visited Truskavets with her son.
“Truskavets is a town from a parallel reality. Time stands still here; no one rushes anywhere — the promenades go from the park to the sanatorium, from the hotel to the spring. It all feels like being in an old film about a resort vacation I’d never experienced, just watched from afar. Even peeking into windows with people dancing in the sanatorium. It’s a perfect place to go to take your mind off things. Thank you, Women in Media, for this wonderful chance to reset,” — underlined Mariana Pietsukh.
Valeriya Egoshyna, investigative journalist with Schemes, also shared her impressions:
“Truskavets in September looks like a frame from Sorrentino’s Youth. By the ‘rejuvenating’ spring, an elderly man shouts to his companion: ‘Halia, go get younger!’ I go to the mineral-water spring with a Tequila Sunrise in a to-go cup, and in the evening, I eat apples at a Lisapetnyi Battalion concert. In the spa, couples are offered ozokerite wraps or wine bubble baths. I can’t say I completely ignored my phone, but I managed to disconnect from it for a few days — for myself and for good conversations.”
Gaining strength for new projects
An intentional online attack targeted Hromadske Radio journalist Mariana Chorniievych during one of her live broadcasts. A listener, later found to be living in the temporarily occupied territory, emailed her a threat to use her photo in pornographic content.
“Now I know what adult rest means — and that’s Truskavets. I’d never been to such a resort town before, but the time had come. And I can tell you, it’s the place. You don’t rush anywhere — you drink water, go to treatments and massages, visit local museums, shops, and art fairs. For fans of live music, there’s a concert every night. Everything is tidy, cultured, charming. That’s exactly how I imagined resort towns I’d only read about before. The conclusion — if you have the opportunity and desire, it’s really worth going somewhere like Truskavets to catch your breath. And that’s something we all need,” — shared Mariana Chorniievych.
Svitlana Stetsenko, journalist at Bihus.info, who had also previously been targeted by online attacks documented by Women in Media, managed to see not only Truskavets but also its surroundings in just three days:
“I caught the vibe of Truskavets, didn’t try Naftusia, finally saw Synevyr — not in its most ‘watery’ season, so now I have a new goal: to come back in different seasons. I took a ride on the Carpathian tram — yes, a real tram that runs on a narrow-gauge track through mountain villages, forests, and waterfalls. I traveled over 500 km through the incredibly beautiful Ukrainian Carpathians in three days.”
Diana Butsko, Hromadske war correspondent, regularly faces online harassment in response to her frontline reporting. In 2024, Russia even opened criminal cases against her and her colleague, Olesia Borovyk. After three days in Truskavets, Diana said she felt as if she had rested for an entire month:
“I spent a few meditative days in Truskavets. Discovered slow rest in a small town from a completely new perspective. Got lost in the forest, watched ducks on the lake, breathed clean air, ate a lot, and most importantly — slept! When there’s nowhere to rush, when everything is within reach, it slows you down and grounds you. I rested for three days as if for a month,” said Diana Butsko. “I want to thank Women in Media for this opportunity. Lately, I’ve been going on retreats more often than on vacations — a small perk of being a journalist. This retreat was a wonderful chance to exhale and regain strength for big projects.”
If you are a woman media professional who has faced online violence because of your work and needs support, you can contact Women in Media through our feedback form. We regularly document online attacks on our website’s special map and are ready to provide psychological support, legal protection, and cybersecurity consultations to those affected.