Jena, September 25, 2026 – The city of Jena has welcomed a group of children and adolescents from the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. The young guests were injured by Russian shelling and spent a ten-day stay in Thuringia together with their relatives and hospital staff.
- Event: Reception of Ukrainian guests from the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital
- Duration of stay: September 11 to 21, 2026 (guest stay in Weimar and Jena)
- Jena locations: Imaginata and Ernst-Abbe-Bücherei
- Official reception: By the Head of the Department for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, Johannes Schleußner
A diverse program and personal encounters
After the group was initially hosted in Weimar at the invitation of the Thuringian State Chancellery and the Stiftung Sophienhaus, their journey also led them to Jena. The program included visits to the Ernst-Abbe-Bücherei as well as the Imaginata experimental world. Johannes Schleußner, Head of the Department for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, met the guests personally and welcomed them on behalf of the city.
Broad support and private initiative
The entire stay was made possible by a strong network of government agencies, welfare organizations, and civic engagement. The project was managed by the Stiftung Sophienhaus within the Diakoniestiftung Thüringen corporate group. Funding was provided through the “Thüringen hilft” donation fund of the Diakonie Mitteldeutschland, regional media houses (TLZ, OTZ, TA), the Kinderhilfestiftung Jena e. V., the Thuringian State Chancellery, and numerous private donations.
The project is based on a private initiative by Viola and Anatoli Michaelis, who initiated this important respite for the injured children and their companions.
Background: The Okhmatdyt Hospital in Kyiv
The Okhmatdyt National Children’s Hospital in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, is the largest medical facility for children in the Eastern European country. In recent years, it has repeatedly become the focus of international attention, as it has been hit and damaged by heavy attacks and acts of war during the Russian war of aggression, despite its status as a civilian health facility. Aid organizations and foundations across Europe have since increasingly committed themselves to the care and support of the affected patients.
Source:
Jena welcomes children from the Kyiv Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.