Dear schoolchildren, teachers and parents! And especially first graders!

Today, all of us together with you are opening a new page in life – some of you go to school for the first time, someone takes their child there for the first time, and some of you first ever sit down at a university bench. 

Today, our special thanks go to teachers who are meeting their pupils and students. After parents and family, they are the ones who help us take our first steps into adulthood.

And only having grown up and matured, we realize that years of studies give us much more than just a diploma or certificate. And today many of us, adults, sincerely wish to hear the school bell again and experience this joyful expectation of something new and interesting coming.

During school years, we get the main skill – the ability to learn and cognize. It makes us competitive and successful in modern life. And the common success of our country consists of your future successes.

Today is the day of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary!

The day when She, making intercession on earth, goes to Eternal glory to Her Son and Lord to become our Heavenly Intercessor! The Intercessor and Advocate for the entire humankind, which in any troubles and circumstances, in the most difficult situations, in diseases and sorrows, puts all hope on the Mother of God!

The simplicity and hope with which people who turn to Her, yearning for help and consolation, cannot be but heard!!! The Mother of God has abundantly granted and is granting her grace and blessing. She generously pours out mercy onto the souls of all those who strive to her with unfeigned faith!!!

In the life of each of us, there are situations when we need support and consolation, and not always there is a person nearby who would listen, help or at least sympathize. However, we should never forget about our Heavenly Mother who is glad to comfort, intercede and protect us at any difficult moment. She, like a real Loving Mother, Covers us with Her protective mantle, and we, as loving children, must not forget to thank Her for her great mercies and blessings!!!

Dear Friends, 

On this Day of Independence of Ukraine, I would like to wish that our State would gain its true independence – in the understanding that the founding fathers of our country laid down 29 years ago. Without regard to instructions, directives and wishes of foreign mentors and counsellors. Without working in the interests of alien forces, which over the past six years has been presented almost as a standard of “patriotism”.

I wish every citizen of Ukraine would remember that independence is the greatest responsibility – to history and to future generations. I wish every Ukrainian citizen wisdom, peace, prosperity, good health, love and unity. I also wish that they would remember that real friends of Ukraine in the world are not those who come to take advantage of us, covering themselves with good intentions. True friendship is tested by time and deeds. I wish Ukraine had more real, strong and reliable friends!

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Today we are praying in commemoration of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Volodymyr, and we mark another anniversary of the most important milestone in our history – the Baptism of Rus. This is a great landmark event that determined the course of our history and the future of our land for centuries. It also enabled Saint Volodymyr, who enlightened our ancestors with the light of Christ's truth, to become equal to the apostles and be famous for centuries.

Back then, having joined the large family of Christian nations, we became part of the great Christian civilization with its remarkable achievements of thought, high spirituality and the richest creative heritage. The Day of Baptism was even more important for us in a spiritual and moral sense. After all, the Baptism is not just a choice, it is not just a rite. This is the Sacrament of a new birth. Birth not in the flesh, but in spirit. In it, the covenant between God and man is restored. This is why today we are celebrating the Day of spiritual birth of our people.

Historically, Ukraine is a multinational, multi-confessional and multilingual State. More than one hundred and thirty nationalities live on its territory, speaking more than eighty languages. Multiculturalism and multilingualism are inalienable features of the people of Ukraine, and these features constitute their identity. Therefore, the state language policy is meant to be a reflection of this reality. As the experience of Canada, Switzerland, Finland and Belgium shows, cultural pluralism and multilingualism are the foundations of identity and power in a democratic, multinational and multilingual rule-of-law state. The idea of unity in diversity enabled Switzerland, a country not big in size, to survive and grow stronger.

“The Last Battle” documentary has premiered on the occasion of the 75^th anniversary of the Great Victory. The movie is an attempt to look at the Great Patriotic War through the eyes of veterans themselves. The author of the idea and the director of the film is Aleksey Batkovskiy.

These days we hear a lot about what politicians and historians think about the war. Politicians and historians who are ready to forget and score out, distort and rewrite the past. We see how the seeds of scepticism are sown in the minds of descendants – ordinary men ready to follow some fashion trends and chase after sensations. While asking the surviving veterans about the greatest tragedy of the twentieth century, trying to recreate the picture of the Feat from the mosaic of memories – was not just unwelcome, but rather deliberately avoided in recent years.

10 special-purpose insulating boxes for transporting COVID-19 patients, earlier purchased by Vadym Novynskyi's Foundation in Honour of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God, have been delivered to Ukraine.

The protective/insulating boxes allow the initial transportation to hospitals of persons suspected of being COVID-19 positive. At the same time they ensure a sufficient level of protection for doctors handling such patients.

Each chamber has four built-in flat portals providing easy access to the patient, and two auxiliary portals used for infusion lines and other medical equipment.

Protective boxes of this type can also be used as protection from a "contaminated" environment for transporting patients with weakened immunity. In the coming days, the insulating boxes will be distributed for the needs of Ukrainian hospitals.

High-precision and highly efficient diagnostic systems for detecting COVID-19 disease, purchased in China by Vadym Novynskyi's Foundation in Honor of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God, arrived in Ukraine.

Three iPonatic systems have been customs cleared and sent to healthcare facilities of Kherson, Mariupol, and Kryvyi Rih cities.

The systems use the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology. In addition to the diagnosis of COVID-19 coronavirus, they allow the detection of respiratory pathogens of influenza A and B virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, human rhinovirus, and mycoplasma pneumonia.

Last Saturday, a mobile team of Ukrainian healthcare professionals set off for Italy to render assistance to their Italian colleagues in the fight against coronavirus. This is an act of humanitarian assistance to the country that is one of the epicenters of the epidemic in Europe today, and the country where Ukrainian expatriate community (diaspora) of thousands of people lives.

In addition to directly rendering the assistance, their mission is to gain valuable experience for Ukraine, which has not yet entered the epidemiological peak. Ukrainian doctors will learn advanced protocols and methods of treating the disease. Best practices will then be implemented at home.  

The delegation includes 10 healthcare professionals from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. These are infectious disease specialists, resuscitators, surgeons, anesthetists, endocrinologists, neuropathologists and medical nurses.

Dear Friends, Congratulations on the Occasion of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary!

The prophecy about the birth of the world's Saviour came true, unnoticeable for the whole world. The good news – the main news for all the humankind – came quietly, peacefully and joyfully, like everything genuine and great, without loud statements and pompous words. The world changed in a flash, because full faith of the human, the Virgin Mary, to God was revealed.

Today, unconditional faith in Christ of each of us can be a decisive force that will help overcome all troubles and diseases in this world. Trust in God, His Providence and holy will is the main condition of our faith.

Today, on behalf of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), clergymen in all regions of Ukraine provided medical staff with the tests (DialPlexQ™ 2019-nCoV), which Vadym Novynskyi's Foundation purchased in South Korea.

In addition to the tests, UOC bishops handed over to hospitals additional personal protective equipment meant for medical staff in Mykolaiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kharkiv regions. Earlier, hospitals in these regions also received thousands of high-class biological protection suits and respirators from Vadym Novynskyi's Foundation.

Kherson region was one of the first regions to receive the testing systems. To date, 40 systems for 4,000 tests, 1,060 protective goggles and 550 reinforced medical masks have been delivered here.

Hospitals in Donetsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kharkiv regions received up-to-date high-class biological protection suits and respirators (N99 and N95) from Vadym Novynskyi's International Charitable Foundation in Honour of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God. Very soon, 100,000 tests (DialPlexQ™ 2019-nCoV), which Vadym Novynskyi's Foundation purchased in South Korea, will be delivered to medical laboratories.

‘Only by joining together we can defeat our common mischief, can provide help to healthcare professionals and protect people,’ said Vadym Novynskyi, the founder of the Foundation.

He also emphasized that the immediate plans of Smart-Holding and the Foundation include an additional purchase of biological protection suits, medical masks, respirators, disinfectants and other sought-after medical equipment.

The Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy and the founder of the Foundation, Vadym Novynskyi, provided the doctors of Oleksandrivska Clinical Hospital with the latest-generation lung ventilator designed to simultaneously operate for two patients, as well as a hundred of reusable protective suits and a hundred of protective goggles.

The medical equipment was handed over to representatives of the clinic by the Primate of the UOC, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy at his residence in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The Head of the Church blessed the medical staff of the clinical hospital, as well as all representatives of the medical professions in Ukraine: ‘God's blessing to all healthcare professionals, all those who work hard today, who show love for their neighbours every day. This is especially valuable when these neighbours are in trouble. May God bless and protect you!’

Vadym Novynskyi's Charitable Foundation has purchased in South Korea and delivered to Ukraine 100,000 DialPlexQ™ ️PCR testing systems for the diagnosis of coronavirus in laboratory conditions.

In the coming days, the testing systems will be handed over to Ukrvaktsyna state enterprise and will be distributed countrywide to specialized infectious diseases laboratories that have the necessary conditions for storage and handling of such reagents.

This was reported by Yevgeniy Zagorulko, a representative of Vadym Novynskyi's Charitable Foundation in Honour of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God. He also explained that the purchased set of the testing systems contains all the necessary components for the most accurate method of detecting coronavirus - PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). That is why there is no need for additional reagents. The testing time takes from 105 to 120 minutes. It may vary depending on the laboratory, its equipment and personnel.

Preparation for the delivery of 100,000 DialPlexQ™ ️2019-nCoV tests from South Korea is in progress. DHL delivery service is loading the cargo in Seoul. In the coming days, the testing systems will arrive in Ukraine, where they will be immediately distributed to specialized infectious diseases laboratories throughout the country that have the necessary conditions for storage and handling of such reagents. The delivery was organized through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine at the initiative of the Office of the President of Ukraine. 

Vadym Novynskyi's Charitable Foundation in Honour of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God became the only financial partner of the delivery understanding the importance of having up-to-date quick and reliable coronavirus tests in the context of the unfolding pandemic. The total financing amounted to more than USD 1.5 million.

The hospital’s intensive care unit received two lung ventilators, each of which can operate for two patients simultaneously, as well as two hundred reusable professional protective suits and two hundred protective goggles for doctors.

During the equipment hand-over, Vadym Novynskyi said: 'The experience of China prompts that the key to success in the fight against coronavirus is universal strict discipline, tough measures introduced by the state and their rigorous implementation on the ground. This is a fair share of contribution by which each of us can help the state stop this common challenge today. I want to assure you that our Charitable Foundation continues the procurement process. The next shipments of equipment and protective gear have been paid, and as soon as they become available on the suppliers' side, we will be bringing them to Ukraine. Yet, I would very much like to know that this medical equipment is useful to the Mariupol hospital, particularly for rendering such medical aid as planned operations rather than urgent cases. We are praying in hope that the virus will recede after Easter. I am sure that the Lord will not leave us!'

At the initiative of His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (the UOC) delivered charitable aid to the regional children's clinical hospital in Chernivtsi city to help fight against coronavirus.

The support package included an up-to-date lung ventilator that can operate simultaneously for two patients, as well as one hundred reusable water-repellent protective suits and one hundred protective goggles for the medical staff of the hospital.

When handing over the equipment, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy thanked the Member of the Parliament, the founder of the Charitable Foundation in Honour of the Intercession of the Most Holy Mother of God, Vadym Novynskyi for helping Chernivtsi region.

Vadym Novynskyi's Charitable Foundation provided Kherson Regional State Administration with two mechanical lung ventilators, as well as 200 top-class biological protection suits, 200 masks and protective goggles for local doctors.

This is the first part of the humanitarian aid that was donated by the MP's Foundation to meet the needs of the region.

MP Vadym Novynskyi said about this in Kherson, during a briefing held following a meeting between local authorities and representatives of businesses in the region.

The Head of Kherson Regional State Administration Yuriy Gusev thanked the parliamentarian for the provided assistance. In his turn, Vadym Novynskyi said that the region will receive the next part of the humanitarian aid in the near future, once the procurement process is completed.