Making is deeply rooted in Ukrainian culture throughout history, encompassing traditional practices such as fixing, repairing, combining broken pieces, planting, and naturally exchanging goods.
Crafting Resilience: The Ukrainian Maker Movement in the past and now[edit | edit source]
With input from Yuri Vlasyuk, MakerHub
The spirit of making has thrived in this resilient nation, providing a powerful counterbalance to consumerism. The Ukrainian maker movement has gained attention from community leaders, civil servants, businesses, educational institutions, medical establishments, international foundations, and even the government and armed forces. The resourcefulness of makers in fixing and repairing became vital during the war and is expected to play a crucial role in post-war reconstruction.
“The dialogue started by Tolocar was as necessary as air. It gave a reason to activate the communication capacities of the community and its players.” Anonymised quote from the MakerHub Research Report [1]
The maker movement in Ukraine has flourished in the last decade, with public makerspaces sprouting across the country since 2012, serving as centers of DIY culture, product innovation, and micro-production. Izolyatsia, one of the first makerspaces in Donetsk, emerged from a project supported by Terre des Hommes. Despite the destruction of Izolyatsia's building during the 2014 secession of Russia-supported militia, the makers adapted and continued their activities in Kyiv as Isolab. In 2022, the maker movement in Ukraine transformed into a tight-knit and supportive community. Collaborations between makers within this community, such Maker Faires, “Book Arsenal” participation and the RepRapUA festival, have garnered international recognition and support from organizations like the Fab Foundation and Make magazine.
Watch MakerHub's Yuri Vlasyuk in conversation with Tolocar team members.
Ukrainian Makerspaces[edit | edit source]
Making is deeply rooted in Ukrainian culture. 37 makerspaces have been established in the country since 2012.
Please feel free to add to this list! Please also feel free to get in touch with the Tolocar project or the Ukrainian Makers Association if you would like to connect!
| No. | Name of Makerspace | Location | Link to Makerspace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FabLab Brody | Brody | https://brody.caritas.ua/ |
| 2 | Peremoha | Chernihiv | https://www.instagram.com/peremoha.center/ |
| 3 | Engineers Coworking* | Chernivtsi | https://www.instagram.com/cowork_cv/ |
| 4 | Ksi Prostir | Dnipro | www.ksiprostir.org |
| 5 | Yane Lab* | https://www.facebook.com/yanelab.bio/ | |
| 6 | IZOLAB* | Donetsk | |
| 7 | MetaLab | Ivano-Frankivsk | https://www.metalab.space |
| 8 | Garage Hub* | Kharkiv | https://www.instagram.com/garage.hub |
| 9 | Makerspace Kharkiv | Kharkiv | https://www.facebook.com/MakerSpaceKharkiv |
| 10 | Makerspace at College | Konotop | https://kpt.sumdu.edu.ua/ |
| 11 | DrevoDim | Kramatorsk | https://kram.caritas.ua/tvorcha-majsternya-drevodim/ |
| 12 | KNUBA | Kyiv | https://www.knuba.edu.ua/ |
| 13 | Ostriv Platform | Kyiv | http://ostrivplatform.com |
| 14 | Hacklab | Kyiv | www.hacklab.kyiv.ua |
| 15 | Fabricator | Kyiv | https://fabricator.me/ |
| 16 | Lampa | Kyiv | https://www.lampa.ua/ |
| 17 | MachineRoom | Kyiv | https://machineroom.com.ua/ |
| 18 | America House Makerspace* | Kyiv | https://www.americahousekyiv.org/ |
| 19 | Makerspace Lviv* | Lviv | www.makerspace.com.ua |
| 20 | Lem Station | Lviv | http://lemstation.com |
| 21 | 1991* | Mariupol | |
| 22 | Lyceum* | Novoaidar | |
| 23 | Hub Lab* | Odesa | www.impacthub.odessa.ua |
| 24 | MiRONAFT* | Odesa | http://mir.onaft.edu.ua |
| 25 | America House Makerspace* | Odesa | https://www.americahouseodesa.org/ |
| 26 | SiniY Crab Art Space | Odesa | https://www.facebook.com/siniycrab/ |
| 27 | BUR Okhtyrka Makerspace | Okhtyrka | https://www.bur.org.ua/en/ |
| 28 | Technolab | Poltava | https://www.facebook.com/technolabpoltava/ |
| 29 | Lyceum* | Popasna | |
| 30 | V. Dahl University* | Severodonetsk | |
| 31 | Bobry | Sumy | https://www.facebook.com/bobryinua/ |
| 32 | FabLab TNTU | Ternopil | https://fablab.tntu.edu.ua |
| 33 | FabLab Truskavets | Truskavets | https://school3.osvita-truskavets.gov.ua/ |
| 34 | Creative Rural Hub | Verhniy Verbizh | www.creativeruralhub.org |
| 35 | Makerspace at Vinnytsya Technical Vocational College | Vinnytsya | https://vtc.vn.ua/ |
| 36 | Youth Centre* | Volnovakha | |
| 37 | Lyceum* | Zolote |
* These makerspaces are either temporarily displaced, defunct, or destroyed.
Insights from MakerHub Research[edit | edit source]
MakerHub, the producer of 15 Maker Faires in Ukraine, conducted research on the recent state of the maker scene in Ukraine as part of the Tolocar project.[1] As part of the research, 312 Ukrainian makers took part in a survey - most were men under 45 with higher technical education, engaged in making for three or more years. Many of them work alone from home, while some have established organizations where they work together with others. The study revealed key needs among makers, including training, idea generation, sourcing materials, improving efficiency, networking, and funding. The maker movement in Ukraine is embracing community engagement: 68% of the study participants expressed interest in joining community activities, with informal gatherings, workshops, and maker fairs being the preferred formats for interaction. Makers are increasingly willing to take on community leadership roles, as many of them are not hobbyists anymore, but support the socio-economic recovery of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian maker movement gives testimony to the creativity and ingenuity of its people. Through resilience and collaboration, makers have demonstrated the transformative power of creation. Guided by the spirit of community and innovation, the movement forges a path towards a vibrant and empowered nation.
