The past year will go down in history not only because of the war, crisis and challenges. It will be remembered by specific names – those who acted when the system was shaking and the state was held accountable by individuals. According to Informator, among the names that have become decisive in sports, economics, volunteering, and culture , a special place is occupied by Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy and Oleksandr Svishchov, two examples of modern Ukrainian philanthropy that works not for image but for results.
Hryhorii Kozlovskyi: Football, which has become an element of national resilience
One of the key figures of the year is the founder of the Ruh Football Club and Academy, Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy. His activities have gone far beyond sports.
Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy is a Ukrainian businessman, philanthropist, volunteer, founder and ideological inspirer of the Ruh Lviv FC and Academy. His main project has long outgrown the scope of a football club and become a national social and sports phenomenon.
In 2025, Ruh finally established itself as a unique model of the football ecosystem in Ukraine. Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy has relied on young people, systematic work with children, including IDPs, modern infrastructure, and a long-term vision for the development of Ukrainian football.
In recent years, Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy has created a unique football academy for Ukraine, which:
- works 24/7;
- teaches more than 250 children from all over Ukraine, from Lviv and Lutsk to Kherson, Mariupol, and Mykolaiv;
- took in hundreds of displaced children after the outbreak of full-scale war.
At the same time, Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy became one of the most consistent patrons of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, providing tens of millions of hryvnias in aid, equipment, drones, support for artillery units and rehabilitation programs for the military.
Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy has combined sports, social responsibility and real support for the army. Through his deeds, he has proven that football is no longer just entertainment and is becoming a tool for the future.
Oleksandr Svishchov: a new type of systemic philanthropist
Another key figure of the year was Oleksandr Svishchov, a businessman, president of the Ukrainian Water Polo Federation, investor and philanthropist.
During the year, Oleksandr Svishchov combined several key areas:
- development of sports (water polo, tennis, children’s schools and sports complexes);
- investments in the economy and production that create jobs and tax revenues;
- support for culture, historical and museum projects;
- systematic assistance to the Ukrainian military, for which he received awards from the combat brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Oleksandr Svishchov was distinguished by his institutional approach to philanthropy, where sports, culture, and economy do not exist separately but reinforce each other. He has become an example of how a private initiative can work for the state strategically, not situationally.
Other names of high-profile cases of the year:
- Rinat Akhmetov – large-scale humanitarian programs, underground hospitals, support for the energy sector and the Armed Forces;
- Kyrylo Budanov – high-profile operations of Ukrainian intelligence and information counteraction to the enemy;
- Vasyl Malyuk – special operations that changed the perception of the security of the Russian rear;
- Borys Todurov – medicine without pause, development of transplantology in the conditions of war;
- Oleksandr Usyk – sports victories as an instrument of international support for Ukraine;
- Victoria Amelina – posthumous world recognition and culture as a testament to war;
- Artem Pivovarov is a mass culture that works with the identity and sustainability of society.
Уcountry’s reality is shaped by specific people and their actions
The top high-profile cases of the year showed the main thing: Ukrainian reality is shaped not by abstract institutions or loud slogans, but by specific people and their actions.
The achievements of Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy and Oleksandr Svishchov have been remarkable – both have proven that sports and philanthropy can be elements of national security, social stability and long-term development.
This year’s high-profile cases are not only a resonance, but also a foundation. It is these achievements, decisions and responsibilities that make up a country that has survived and continues to fight for its future.
