Tamara Balaeva

Editor

I’ve been working in journalism all my life, despite several attempts to leave the field. I started in Zaporizhzhia as a host on wired Radio Three, then moved to Kyiv, where I worked for daily newspapers. Later, I began writing stories for Focus magazine and the Babel website. As a freelance author, I was published in Ukrainian Esquire, Charitum, Reporters, and other outlets. I’ve also collaborated with charities such as Enjoying Life, savED, and UAnimals.

Since 2024, I’ve been an editor in the long-form stories department at LIGA.net and a mentor for novice journalists at the Media Development Foundation.

I am convinced that there is nothing more fascinating in the world than human stories.

Publications of the author

Startup Releaf Paper makes paper from fallen leaves and sells it by the ton to global brands. How Valentyn Frechka made it happen. Interview
In 2018, 17-year-old school student Valentyn Frechka from Zakarpattia made paper from fallen leaves and won the Genius Olympiad in the United States. Two years later, he...
Food after shelling, aid near the front line, and support for farmers. What World Central Kitchen does in Ukraine — interview
For more than four years, World Central Kitchen (WCK) has been feeding people in frontline communities, helping displaced people, and reaching the sites of Russian...
Russia is destroying Ukrainian businesses — they need your support. We update this list every Monday
Russian missiles and drones regularly target Ukrainian businesses, striking factories, warehouses, retail locations, and logistics hubs. Companies are losing critical...
“We launched JayJay and immediately made our first sale.” A Ukrainian platform in Indonesia raised $1 million and became a leader in creative education. Interview
In 2021, businessman Vitalii Somka was looking for a country where he could set up an online professional education platform. After researching markets on four continents,...
Ukrainian startup HEFT has created an “Apple Watch for cows.” Their device is already in use in Romania and Ukraine, and is now being prepared for launch in the US. Interview
In September 2024, Serhii Ryzhkov and Denys Maltsev founded HEFT, a startup developing "fitness trackers" for cows on farms. Later, Maria Mashkovska joined the team. Operating...
From creepy stories and puzzles to grand adventures: 30 video games by Ukrainian developers
Galicians fighting for survival in space, stalkers exploring the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone , Cossacks waging wars, and forest spirits gathering herbs for tea—these are just...
“We hit rock bottom and pushed off.” Two friends from Lutsk exported Ukrainian herbs to the EU, but the war forced them to create the TRAVKA tea brand
In 2012, two Lutsk locals, Volodymyr Olkhovyk and Anton Sosinskyi, founded Shans Vik, a company that harvests, dries, and exports Ukrainian herbs and berries. By 2022,...
Russian missiles are destroying Ukrainian businesses' production facilities and warehouses. Who needs your support. Part 4
In July and August 2026, Russia has been bombarding Ukrainian cities with massive drone and missile attacks almost every night. Russian forces are deliberately destroying...