On Sunday in Kyiv, cooking became far more than a culinary art. It emerged as a space for rebuilding, transmission, and human connection, in the service of those whose lives have been profoundly disrupted by war.
On the occasion of the visit to Ukraine by Michelin-starred chef Thierry Marx, with whom Stand With Ukraine has been developing a training program for the past two years aimed at veterans and internally displaced persons, we co-organized—together with Expertise France in Ukraine, NGO Cult Food, and the Embassy of France in Ukraine—an event celebrating dialogue between French and Ukrainian cuisines.
Hosted at UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group in Kyiv, the evening was opened by the Ambassador of France to Ukraine, Gaël Veyssière. It brought together Thierry Marx and Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko alongside trainees trained in culinary professions: former military personnel, displaced persons from Mariupol, as well as teachers from a vocational education institution in Chernihiv.
The Mariupol City Council (Маріупольська міська рада), a partner of the project since its inception, plays a central role in supporting displaced residents and in building pathways toward professional reintegration, despite forced exile and the destruction of the city.
Alongside it, Le Havre, Mariupol’s partner city, has hosted part of the training sessions and actively supports the La Cantine de Marioupol project, which is also backed by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France Diplomatie).
Within the framework of the STIYKIST project, implemented by Expertise France, Yevhen Klopotenko and the NGO Cult Food are working to strengthen the skills of teachers and trainers in Ukraine’s hospitality and food service sector.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Thierry Marx, through his network Cuisine Mode d’Emploi(s), has been engaged in training Ukrainian veterans and internally displaced persons. Two initial training sessions have already taken place in Toulouse and Le Havre, enabling participants to acquire concrete professional skills and to regain confidence and perspective. Starting in 2026, these training programs will continue directly in Ukraine, in Dnipro.
Partners from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Міністерство закордонних справ України / MFA of Ukraine) and the Embassy of Ukraine in France (Посольство України у Франції) were also present, along with defenders of Ukraine and numerous representatives of Ukrainian authorities, civil society, and the cultural sector.
Far beyond technical training, cooking here becomes a genuine form of therapy—a way to restore confidence, pride, and human connection.
This event was made possible thanks to close cooperation among all the teams of the Embassy of France in Ukraine, Stand With Ukraine, Expertise France, Cuisine Mode d’Emploi(s), Cult Food, and UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group.
We sincerely thank all of these partners for making this meaningful cooperation possible.
Special thanks go to ConceptYou Ukraine for providing the equipment and space that enabled culinary experimentation throughout the event.
At Stand With Ukraine, we will continue to make the transmission of know-how and personal reconstruction a cornerstone of the La Cantine de Marioupol project, soon to open in Dnipro, in the service of the women and men of Ukraine.
