Name: Yana Zinkevych
Country: Ukraine
Yana Zinkevych is a real-life action hero for freedom.
In 2014, when she was only 19 years old, Zinkevych founded the Hospitallers, a volunteer organization of medical professionals, after Russian forces covertly and illegally seized control of the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. This began a legacy of assisting first responders to care for and transport those wounded in the conflict.
A year later, a car accident badly injured Zinkevych, requiring her to use a wheelchair.
Undaunted by the accident’s aftermath, she would again demonstrate her courage when Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This attack returned the Hopistallers to the battlefield to support emergency responders. Zinkevych continued to train new members on how to treat those in need, guided by the motto, “for the sake of every
life.”
That same year, BBC 100 Women of 2022 recognized Zinkevych for her bravery. They shared that her Hospitallers “provide first aid to injured soldiers and civilians, conducts medical training, and has performed around 6,000 evacuations.”
Beyond opposing the Russian invasion of her country through care for the injured, Zinkevych is a mother and a Member of Parliament where she was elected in 2019 at the age of 24. She remains an inspiration to those uplifting human dignity and opposing tyranny.
Read more about the women continuing the fight for their rights in The Struggle for Freedom.
