23 May 2026
(The main hall of LIFF 2026. PHOTO: lvivmediaforum.com)
Can you imagine a country that has been suffering from a full-scale war for five years and yet annually hosts international forums with hundreds of journalists from all over the world? I couldn't either. It so happened that the last time I went to a major journalistic forum was before the full-scale aggression. It seemed to me that foreign media professionals from very successful countries would not put their lives at risk if it was not directly related to their professional duties. Let's be frank: such an event could hardly happen in the south or east of Ukraine right now. However, arrivals do happen in the western regions of the country. Fortunately, the forum went off without a hitch. Let me share my subjective impressions of the trip.
Odesa and Lviv are two of my favorite cities in Ukraine. I was born and live in Odesa, and I've always liked Lviv for its warm tranquility. In Lviv, you don't have to rush, because you can't see the monuments, churches, ancient architecture, or feel the spirit of the city that fills the narrow streets. Lviv residents are very positive and willing to help tourists, especially if they are interested in their city. Here, even a taxi driver can easily tell you how to get to the train station by public transport.
I consider Odesa to be the exact opposite of Lviv. Odesa is an extroverted city that rewards those who are ready to make a loud statement and attract attention. It seems to me that there is a certain internal tension in Odesa: you have to be constantly ready to accept a challenge or take advantage of a good opportunity.
During my three-day stay in Lviv, I had the impression that the city was unaware of the war. I never heard a sound of alarm. Lviv streets are filled with people, and the city center is simply overcrowded. In the evening, it will not be easy to find a free seat in a cafe or restaurant. Yes, I met a lot of people in military uniforms, but it happened mostly around military institutions. But no, the city remembers the war very well: every day at nine in the morning, all people stop. After Odesa, it looks like a science fiction movie. And it took me a few seconds to slow down out of habit.
It can be argued that the media forum is progressing every year. If in 2025 the event brought together more than 500 participants from 26 countries, this year more than 700 participants from 36 countries came to the forum. I saw representatives of the German, British, and American media, and heard journalists from Georgia, Bosnia, and exotic Taiwan talk about the media system and political situation in their countries. Obviously, the organizers had to make a lot of effort to hold negotiations and provide transfers for representatives of such different countries.
The delegation of Intent. The author of the material got lost somewhere. PHOTO: Natalia Dovbysh
The Intent delegation drew attention to the fact that there were up to ten representatives of Odesa at the forum. This fact is interesting because before the full-scale invasion, there were more than thirty TV channels in Odesa alone. Of course, today the media landscape of Odesa is not as diverse, to put it mildly. In addition, there were objective reasons that could have pushed part of the Ukrainian media environment away from the event. Firstly, the organizers collect a mandatory monetary contribution from the participants, which is not easy for Ukrainian journalists to bear in today's realities. Secondly, the language of the official forum program is English. Of course, almost everyone studied English at school, but practice shows that this does not always guarantee a high level of knowledge. The organizers did not provide simultaneous translation into Ukrainian. This can be perceived as a move to Europe or as a desire to save money, depending on the level of positivity in your worldview.
The forum was held in a large modern center with a number of rooms of different sizes, which is quite convenient for holding such forums. As I understand it, last year's forum was also held at this location. Two video projects and one video installation were presented in a spacious hall designed for coffee and lunch breaks. In particular, one of the video projects showed Ukrainian children who were forcibly taken to Russia but later returned home. The children were filmed while sleeping, which was probably meant to symbolize the purity and defenselessness of children in the face of the horrors of war.
The video project "You must not see this". PHOTO: lvivmediaforum.com
The Earth video project used footage from the body cameras of Ukrainian soldiers to create a panoramic view of the Ukrainian landscape. Interestingly, the video was premiered at this year's Venice Biennale, and the media forum was the second platform for the demonstration.
The video project Earth. PHOTO: lvivmediaforum.com
Finally, the installation "Change or Die" was stylized as an advertising sign. Presumably, the author's idea can be perceived as a choice between personal interests and the needs of the country during the war.
Installation "Change or Die". PHOTO: lvivmediaforum.com
I believe that all three presentations were original, thoughtful and in line with the level of European forums.
The program of the first day of the forum was limited to three hours. The audience gave a standing ovation to journalist and soldier Maksym Butkevych, who was taken prisoner by Russia during the war. In general, the opening looked solemn and beautiful. Perhaps the English-language communication added to the solemnity of the event.
Speech by Maksym Butkevych. PHOTO: lvivmediaforum.com
I'll tell you about what I didn't like on the first day and then caused discomfort several times during the forum. Some panels were moderated by people who were not journalists. As it was explained to me, they were either bloggers or even businessmen. The difference is that bloggers just have a relaxed conversation with the speaker instead of moving the conversation in a certain direction. We have an exclusive speaker, and we don't even utilize his potential by 70 percent. Most likely, bloggers were used by the organizers deliberately to further promote the forum, but for me, as a consumer of information and a journalist, it looked like a waste of a resource.
The unofficial evening program of the first day took place at the location of a Lviv architectural monument from the early twentieth century. Despite the undoubted originality of the chosen location, the organizers' intention remained unclear to me. The participants were divided into separate groups for communication. Presumably, it was possible to spend time in this way at any location, with much more comfort. It seems to me that the evening program of future forums could be diversified. For example, it would be possible to hold a thematic quiz related to either the media or the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Forum participants at a villa in the early twentieth century. PHOTO: lvivmediaforum.com
The second day made a very strong impression on me. Intensive work began in the morning. There were two or even three panels going on at the same time, so it was sometimes quite difficult to make a choice. I especially remember the communication with media donors and the presentation of a journalism textbook that is in the process of being developed. I took the liberty of criticizing the textbook a bit, but the content it contains will undoubtedly be useful. At the presentation of the textbook, a small but extremely revealing episode took place. During the discussion, it suddenly turned out that the mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi, was sitting unnoticed in the audience. He was far from the first to take the floor to offer the author cooperation and support in creating a media literacy textbook for Lviv schoolchildren. Now imagine if a similar media forum were held in Odesa. The opening day would be entirely devoted to speeches by the mayor, the governor, their friend the prosecutor, a respected local oligarch, his wife, a big business representative, his mistress, and other dignitaries.
In between panels, it was nice to meet former students and fellow journalists. Obviously, live communication and exchange of opinions and information is an important component of such an event.
The second day ended with a public interview given by Andriy Yusov, a representative of the DIU 's Strategic Communications Department. To be honest, I was disappointed with the interview. The blogger-interviewer was unable or unwilling to ask interesting questions, and the speaker was unwilling to share information. Smart people explained to me that not all forum events are aimed at its participants. A useful lesson: notable public events need to be perceived in two dimensions - as the event itself and in the broader socio-political context.
The author of the material was finally found through the efforts of Odesa and Kyiv media professionals. PHOTO: Natalia Dovbysh
On the third day, fatigue was noticeably evident, so I allowed myself to skip some panels and talk to old friends. The Odesa delegation concluded the cultural and intellectual program with a visit to the gallery where the works of the artist Taras Shevchenko were exhibited.
Events such as the Lviv Media Forum have a significance that can hardly be overestimated. The daily routine work of a journalist is important, but it is depressing, does not allow you to raise your head and think calmly. When you are boiling in the sauce of your own thoughts every day, it is useful to remember that there are many people in the world with original worldviews and knowledge that you do not possess. Lviv Media Forum allows you to get information, share experiences, meet old friends and find new ones, make useful contacts and just relax in the wonderful city of lions. If possible, I will definitely return next year.
Олег Пархітько
May 23, 2026
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