Eight years of partnership between Kochański & Partners and the KALYNA Foundation
Every June, we host the Board of the Polish-Ukrainian-Canadian KALYNA Scholarship Foundation. And every year, we come away from that meeting feeling that what we do truly matters. That even amid growing global turbulence and unease, our shared endeavours – large and small, step by step, year after year – are genuinely changing the world.
And have been for eight years now.
Small actions, growing impact
The KALYNA Foundation currently supports three students pursuing their studies at Polish universities.
Vitalii is studying Mechatronic Engineering at AGH University in Kraków. In 2025, he successfully defended his bachelor’s thesis on the design of an autonomous plant cultivation monitoring station and is now preparing for his master’s degree. An exemplary student, proving that all talent needs is an opportunity.
Olena comes from Fastiv, near Kyiv, and is studying at the Faculty of Petroleum Engineering at AGH University. Her father, Viktor, was a Ukrainian war hero killed near Lysychansk in June 2016. Olena was ten years old at the time. She has held a KALYNA scholarship since October 2024 and, with the Foundation’s support, has been progressing steadily through her studies.
Ksenia, a film directing student, is the Foundation’s newest beneficiary, having received support only since February 2026. It may not be long before the world hears more about this talented young artist who, thanks to sustained, structured support, has the chance to develop her gifts and pursue her passions.
How to build Polish-Ukrainian relations?
Scholarship support is one strand of KALYNA’s work. The other focuses on fostering Polish-Ukrainian dialogue, integration and reconciliation – a mission that is especially vital today, at a time when mutual recriminations are growing ever louder.
KALYNA does not shy away from difficult topics. That is precisely why, last year, the Foundation supported the publication of Dr Mariusz Sawa’s monograph Pociski jak paciorki różańca (Bullets Like Rosary Beads), examining the events in Sahryń in 1944. The book was published in February 2025 by Kolegium Europy Wschodniej Publishing.
The first print run sold out almost immediately, prompting a reprint.
It is not an easy read, as it touches on one of the most painful episodes in Polish-Ukrainian relations. But that is exactly why it is needed today.
Plans for 2026 include further publications: book-length essays by Adam Balcer and Nadia Koval from Kyiv, prepared as part of the Poland and Ukraine: Past and Future project. Both works will be published by the Nieoczywiste Publishing.
What lies ahead?
A new and ambitious initiative is taking shape: Poland–Ukraine 2050: Foundations for the Future – a project that ultimately seeks to answer the question of what the relationship between the two countries should look like a quarter of a century from now.
“The work of those committed to the KALYNA mission demonstrates that consistency and responsibility are not merely values, but the foundation of any real change. We are delighted to be part of this story and to see our support translate into very tangible outcomes – scholarships, publications and meetings. This is both a commitment and a motivation to do more,” says Piotr Kochański, Managing Partner.
Would you like to learn more about our partnership with the KALYNA Foundation or support its work?
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