USAID/Ukraine’s “New Pages of Ukrainian Heroism” campaign tells the stories of women who are making history, working behind the frontlines to support Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction. Follow the campaign @USAIDUkraine on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Nataliya Lelyuk, better known as “Doctor Nataliya,” is not a soldier, but she is absolutely on the front lines of Ukraine’s defense. An OBGYN, she became a medical volunteer on February 24, the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. About a month later, she launched the Far Villages project, whereby she travels with the Ukrainian police to liberated villages in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Donetsk regions to provide medical care to citizens without ready access to humanitarian assistance.
Throughout the war, Doctor Nataliya has provided medical care to Ukraine’s defenders, to civilians living in frontline and recently liberated communities, to internally-displaced persons, and to anyone else in need.
She has rightly been recognized for this incredible work, being formally commended by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for her assistance to the country’s defenders. She also received the “Defender of Ukraine” award from the National Security Council of Ukraine.
Despite all this, Doctor Nataliya prefers to let her actions speak for themselves. When we asked how she wants to be remembered by future generations, she responded with only six words:
“I was where help was needed.”
