Girls from 'Turbota'

In wartime Ukraine, older people have become both more vulnerable and less visible, as care systems, institutions, and social networks are disrupted by war, occupation, and displacement. Families caring for older relatives, as well as those ageing alone, are often left to manage with limited support and increasing uncertainty.

“Turbota” is a nationwide network of day centres for older people, which also hosts a “Third Age University”—a world-wide learning initiative for adults over 65. Although it operates with very limited state funding, its continued presence has allowed some communities to develop it into a stable point of support. These centres provide practical assistance, social connection, and a structured environment for participation.

Largely sustained by the work and initiative of women in active older age, Turbota centres create local networks of care for more vulnerable groups while maintaining spaces where older people remain socially engaged and visible. In this way, they function as modest but consistent elements of support within the broader context of disruption.