The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and the Heart of Azovstal initiative—created to support Mariupol’s defenders and their families—have formalised a Memorandum of Cooperation. The agreement unites efforts to expand assistance for families of Ukrainian defenders and to safeguard the memory of Mariupol’s heroic defence.
The collaboration unlocks fresh opportunities to roll out social and humanitarian programmes, strengthen psychological support, and launch initiatives that honour defenders, their children, and their loved ones.
“The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and the Heart of Azovstal enables us to broaden the scope of assistance and reinforce one another by uniting the experience of a major charitable organisation with that of a civic initiative inspired by an act of heroism,” said Iryna Blazhan, Chief Programme Director of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
While their paths have been different, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and Heart of Azovstal are driven by shared values—care and sustained support for those affected by the war. Both were founded by Rinat Akhmetov. Heart of Azovstal arose in response to the defenders’ heroism and the need to aid their families. For two decades, the Foundation has focused on saving lives, assisting the most vulnerable, and preserving human stories. This partnership opens a new phase for both initiatives: by pooling experience, resources and energy, they plan to deliver larger-scale programmes for people impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Ksenia Sukhova, Director of Heart of Azovstal, stressed the significance of the step, calling it a move to bolster support for the families of Ukraine’s defenders and to combine efforts to preserve the memory of their courage.
“For us, as a young organisation, it is a great honour to cooperate with the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation – to learn from its experience and best practices and to make our assistance even more effective and powerful. We believe that our partnership and synergy will strengthen our programmes aimed at working with the children and families of Mariupol’s defenders. This cooperation involves concrete actions focused on supporting the defenders and their families, as well as preserving the memory of their bravery,” said Ksenia Sukhova, Director of the Heart of Azovstal.
The agreement provides for sharing mental-health education resources and for co-organising events and public-awareness activities both online and offline.
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation also commits to comprehensive support for Mariupol’s defenders and their families, and to protecting historical truth and collective memory for future generations. This work will be advanced through the Museum of Civilian Voices, which records first-hand accounts from Ukrainians who have been victims or witnesses of the war since 2014.
The Museum now holds the world’s largest collection of such testimonies, with more than 140,000 personal stories already recorded.
