Espoo hosts young guests from Ukraine
A group of young people from our Ukrainian sister city Kryvyi Rih are spending this week in Espoo. Arriving from a city gripped by war, these young people have particularly valued the opportunity to meet their peers in Espoo.
We want to give our young guests a chance to take a break from their daily lives, enjoy nature and a peaceful atmosphere, learn more about Espoo’s education system, and meet their Finnish peers.
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian group of 17 young people and three adults met Mayor Kai Mykkänen, and today they are visiting two general upper secondary schools, Etelä-Tapiolan lukio and Otaniemen lukio. Mykkänen considers the visit an important part of the partnership between the two cities.
”For four years now, these young people in Kryvyi Rih have lived close to the front line and under the constant threat of bombardment. For a child, that is an eternity. We believe it is important to be able to offer them at least a brief respite at a summer camp in Espoo. At the same time, we want to build lasting connections between young people in Espoo and Ukraine and strengthen our important sister city relationship,” Mykkänen said.
Building new friendships with young people in Espoo
All general upper secondary schools in Espoo have a twin school in Kryvyi Rih. This morning, our Ukrainian guests visited Etelä-Tapiolan lukio before heading to Otaniemen lukio in the afternoon. During the day, they learned about general upper secondary education in Finland, and they had the opportunity to make new friends with young people in Espoo.
Espoo’s general upper secondary schools have maintained close ties with schools in Kryvyi Rih. For example, a fundraising campaign called ‘Valoa ja lämpöä Ukrainaan’ (bringing light and warmth to Ukraine), organised by Espoo’s general upper secondary schools last winter, was a great success. Last year, on Europe Day, a football match was organised between a team from the Ukrainian Association in Finland and a mixed team made up of students from Espoo’s general upper secondary schools. The charity buffet held during the event raised funds to support Kryvyi Rih. Regular and diverse interaction between the schools has been driven by the creativity and empathy of the students.
Cooperation has also expanded to include vocational schools and universities. Aalto University, Metropolia and Omnia have been involved in promoting educational cooperation.
Kryvyi Rih – major centre of heavy industry in Ukraine
Kryvyi Rih is one of Espoo’s sister cities, and the visit is part of the cities’ long-term cooperation. The partnership agreement between the two cities was signed in May 2023.
Kryvyi Rih is an industrial city of around 600,000 people in central Ukraine. It is also the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The city has been repeatedly targeted by missile and drone attacks throughout the war. Although the effects of the war are visible in many ways across Kryvyi Rih, the city has continued its work in education, culture and urban development while preparing for future reconstruction.
Cooperation between Espoo and Kryvyi Rih focuses on education, cultural projects, developing opportunities for businesses, and strengthening expertise in safety and preparedness.
The aim of the cooperation is to provide international learning opportunities for children and young people, support opportunities for Espoo-based businesses to participate in Ukraine’s reconstruction, make use of EU funding, and develop cross-administrative cooperation in different sectors.
Our guests from Kryvyi Rih will be staying in Espoo from 10 to 14 August 2026.
The visit has been organised in cooperation with the parishes of Espoo.
Enquiries
Milla Ovaska, Head of International Affairs, tel. +358 43 8244911, milla.ovaska@espoo.fi.
