Our People
Staff
Oksana Kryviak
Headmaster Devon Ukrainian School “Berehynia”, Executive Team
Oksana Kryviak was born in Lviv, Ukraine. She graduated from a Pedagogical College and began her professional career as a teacher of German language and literature. In 2007, she completed her university degree in German philology and literature and continued working as a school teacher.
Oksana has also been active in community life: she served as a board member of the Union of Large Families of Lviv Region and later became the head of its local branch.
At the start of the full-scale war, she devoted herself to volunteer work, spending two months organizing the evacuation of people and helping transport them safely to Poland.
Later, she joined the Devon Ukrainian Association, where she began volunteering. In 2004, she became the head of the Devon Ukrainian school “Berehynia”, which she continues to lead today, supporting and educating children of the Ukrainian community.
Oksana is also a member of the Association of Ukrainian Teachers in Britain and actively participates in the cultural life of the community, including poetry readings and creative gatherings of Ukrainians abroad.
Anastasiia Kuznetsova
Director of Marketing and Community Outreach, Executive Team
Born in Horlivka, Donetsk region, Anastasiia Kuznetsova spent most of her adult life in Donetsk. In 2014, after the first Russian invasion, she was forced to leave her home and start anew in Kyiv, where she built a new chapter of her life over eight years. In 2022, she moved to Exeter, Devon, with her two children, seeking safety and a fresh start.
Her journey with the Devon Ukrainian Association began as a volunteer in the Ukrainian community café — a place where people could meet, share stories, and feel a piece of home. Soon after, she joined the team in a paid role, managing the community chat and social media. Step by step, her responsibilities expanded, leading her to the position she holds today.
With dual degrees in Accounting and Law, Anastasiia spent eight years as a Chief Accountant and Finance Director before pursuing her passion for wellness. She now runs her own business, offering health consultations, guiding people towards better wellbeing, and helping them create their own online ventures.
For Anastasiia, her work with the Association is far more than a job — it is a mission. She is committed to preserving Ukrainian cultural identity, strengthening the local community, and sharing the richness of Ukrainian heritage with people in the UK.
Olya Petrakova
Director of Development, Exectuive Team
Olya Petrakova, whose family roots are in Mariupol and Luhansk, is the driving force behind the Devon Ukrainian Association. She was born in Chisinau, Moldova to Ukrainian mother. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, she holds an MBA and serves as Programme Director for the MA Creative Industries at the University of Exeter. With over 20 years of international experience in cultural entrepreneurship, creative production, and community leadership, Olya works to build a thriving Ukrainian community in Devon while strengthening cultural and civic ties between Ukraine and the UK. She leads initiatives that promote Ukrainian heritage, foster integration, and provide practical support for those affected by the war in Ukraine. Her vision combines cultural celebration with a strong civic mission - championing dialogue, inclusion, and solidarity.
Oleksandra Lukaniuk
Teacher of Devon Ukrainian School “Berehynia”
Born in the city of Kolomyia. She is a teacher by education and by vocation, with many years of experience in educating and nurturing children. In 2024, she joined the Devon Ukrainian Association as a teacher at the Berehynia School of Ukrainian Studies. There, she teaches Ukrainian language and the history of Ukraine, while fostering national culture and identity among young Ukrainians who, together with their parents, were forced to leave their homeland because of the war.
Maryna Omelchenko
Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) Programme Facilitator, Graphic Designer
Born in Dresden, Germany, Maryna spent her childhood in Nizhyn, Chernihiv region. She graduated from Nizhyn Mykola Gogol State University with a degree in Education and later completed studies at the Law Faculty of the Kyiv Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, dedicating over 17 years to the legal field.
After the birth of her daughter in 2017, Maryna decided to change her professional path and enrolled at the Kyiv Academy of Arts, embarking on a new stage of life that combined creativity and psychology. In Ukraine, she founded an art studio for adults and children, led group therapy sessions, and organized exhibitions, including “The Story of One Family” and the “Military Sketches” series.
Upon moving to the United Kingdom, Maryna joined the Devon Ukrainian Association as a volunteer, teaching the younger group at the Ukrainian school, working as an art teacher, and serving as a facilitator. With the Association’s support, she held a personal exhibition and co-curated the “Ukraine. Children” exhibition.
Today, Maryna is a facilitator of the Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) program, helping the Ukrainian community in the UK strengthen emotional wellbeing, restore personal resources, and maintain inner balance. Her work combines cultural, educational, and therapeutic initiatives aimed at supporting the community and preserving Ukrainian cultural identity abroad.
Kateryna Riaboshlyk
Teacher of Devon Ukrainian School “Berehynia”, Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) Programme Facilitator, Next Steps Programme Coordinator
Born in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and holds Master’s degrees in Law and Economics. Since 2005, she has been studying psychology, focusing on positive psychology, Gestalt, psychodrama, Atmahealing, and art therapy. She leads meditation groups and provides individual support for adults, teenagers, and children.
Since 2024, Kateryna has been a teacher at the Ukrainian Saturday School “Berehynia” in Exeter. She is also a facilitator of the Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) programme and a Coordinator of the Next Steps South West project, supporting the Ukrainian community in mental health, resilience, and cultural identity.
Viktoriia Rosovetska
Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) Programme Coordinator and Facilitator
Viktoriia Rosovetska graduated in 2002 from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy with a Master’s degree in Social Work and Psychology. Viktoriia began her career at the School of Equal Opportunities and the Ukrainian Family Planning Association, where she led training sessions for teenagers and women who had experienced violence. These sessions focused on conflict resolution, safe lifestyles, and the use of art therapy techniques.
In 2012, she moved to Rivne, taking on the role of Head of the Public Relations Department at the Rivne Administrative Court. There, she organised seminars for school students and community organisations, aimed at increasing knowledge about taxes and civic duties. She also founded the Taxes Through the Eyes of Children competition, served as a jury member, and awarded the winners.
After relocating to the United Kingdom in 2022, Viktoriia focused on self-education in providing support to refugees, military families, and children, obtaining several certificates in these areas.
Since March 2025, she has been working at the Devon Ukrainian Association as a facilitator and project curator for Living Life to the Full, supporting the Ukrainian community in improving emotional wellbeing, restoring personal resources, and maintaining inner balance. In August 2025, she joined Devon County Council as a Family Practitioner, offering mental health and wellbeing support to refugees, children, and their families.
Iryna Starkova
Living Life to the Full (LLTTF) Programme Facilitator
Iryna Starkova is a practicing psychotherapist specializing in the Transactional Analysis method. She is a proud member of both the Ukrainian and European Associations for Transactional Analysis (UATA and EATA), and the author of therapeutic programs designed to support both adults and adolescents.
When the war began in 2022, Iryna, a devoted single mother, chose to bring her child to safety in the UK. In her new home, she quickly connected with fellow Ukrainians and became part of the Devon Ukrainian Society, where she now offers workshops to support mental health. With a special focus on addiction and adolescence, Iryna brings together her natural sensitivity and compassion with advanced therapeutic techniques. She believes therapy should always provide warmth, support, a sense of significance, safety, and the deepest confidentiality.
Iryna’s calling to help others has been present since childhood, rooted in a lifelong mission to bring beauty and kindness into the world. Before becoming a therapist, she spent over 20 years working in the beauty industry as well as in film and television. This experience gave her not only the skill to transform a person’s outward appearance but also the insight to help them discover their inner strength. Today, she guides people toward uncovering a more confident, harmonious version of themselves—closer to their true potential and to the life they dream of.
Directors
of Non-Executive Board
Omar Ashour
Dr. Omar Ashour is a Senior Lecturer in Security Studies in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, at the University of Exeter. He is an Associate Fellow at Chatham House in London and the author of The De-Radicalization of Jihadists: Transforming Armed Islamist Movements, the first book on transitions from armed to unarmed activism by several Islamists organisations in the Middle East and North Africa. His recent publications include “Collusion to Collision: Islamist-Military Relations in Egypt” , “Sinai’s Stubborn Insurgency” and “How Does the “Islamic State” Militarily Endure and Expand?.” Dr. Ashour specialises in asymmetric armed conflict, Islamist movements, insurgency/counterinsurgency, terrorism studies, and democratisation (with a main focus on civil-military relations and security sector reform). He previously served as a senior consultant for the United Nations on security sector reform, counter-terrorism, and de- radicalization issues. He is a regular contributor to media outlets including the BBC, al-Jazeera, Sky News, CNN, al-Arabiya and others. His op-eds are frequently published in Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Independent, al-Jazeera.net, CNN.com, Project Syndicate and other media outlets in seven languages, in over 40 countries. He is currently working on a book analysing the military tactics and strategies of IS in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt.
Bryan Brown
Bryan Brown is a theatre maker and Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter. His current research work challenges the imperialist narratives of Putin's Russia as well as those more broadly ingrained in Soviet, post-Soviet and Russian studies.
As a co-founder of Maketank, Bryan helped organise and set up the precursor to DUA, the Conversation Cafe at 6 Paris Street as an immediate response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He was also part of the team that supported the creation of the Worldwide Ukrainian Play Readings Project, which grew out of the previous international solidarity movement, the Worldwide Insulted. Belarus Play Readings Project. Along with Four of Swords Theatre and other independent artists, Maketank presented an evening of two new plays by Ukrainian playwrights on 30 March 2022. This developed into a full length performance, To Refuge, which combined a handful of new Ukrainian texts with a previous verbatim play about the lived experience of Exeter's residents during the Blitz in 1942.
In the summer of 2022 and January 2023, Maketank produced two Southwest and London tours of Lviv's unique song-theatre Word and Voice which raised over £10,000 and was seen by over 3,000 people.
Bryan supports all aspects of DUA's mission but he's particularly invested in how Ukrainian arts and culture preserve tradition, generate solidarity and renew the spirit of Ukrainian innovation.
Hanna Khriakova
Hanna is a renowned culturologist and communicational and international manager of the UNESCO Lviv City of Literature office. Her passion for languages and translation—especially her work on Ukrainian literature—has made her a leader in international cultural projects, such as the LitTransformer translational workshop and the Lviv Book Forum.
Beyond her literary achievements, Hanna has also played a key role in the powerful “Unseen Force” exhibition, exploring the experiences of those living in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine through art. She is also researching the emotional and psychological impact of war through sound at the Home of Sound institution in Lviv.
Our collaboration with Hanna began when we had the privilege of hosting her at a Ukrainian War Poetry event in partnership with the University of Exeter. Alongside fellow poets and translators Yuliya Musakovska and Olena Huseinova, Hanna led a delegation from Lviv UNESCO City of Literature to bring Ukraine’s new wave of wartime poetry to audiences across the UK. We’re especially grateful for the support of Professor Hugh Roberts and Professor Helen Vassallo, whose work with us has made this initiative a success. The poetry workshops and readings we co-hosted in Exeter and Manchester have already sparked meaningful conversations, and we look forward to building on these efforts in the future.
Steve Osbiston
By profession an Independent Financial Adviser for the last 35 years. Steve is currently a founding member and Vice Chair of LibDem Friends of Ukraine as well as a Non-Executive Director for DUA.
Since it became possible to offer accommodation to Ukrainians fleeing the illegal invasion of Ukraine Steve and his wife Nora have regularly hosted and has always been helping Ukrainians find safe places to live, whilst understanding the issues that confront them.
Steve took the issue of Ukrainian Driving Licenses only being valid for 12 months to MPs to change the rules and has since 2023 been campaigning on the matter of Visas, whether the UK Government should offer Ukrainians the right to remain and accessing what facilities Ukraine has to accommodate those who fled the War when there is a permanent ceasefire.
In April 2025 he travelled to Lviv to meet with senior officials and to see for himself what is possible. He hopes to see more of the Country in the future, working with those he has met, and has fallen in love with the Ukrainian people. He is trying to learn Ukrainian.
Angelina Romaniuk
Angelina is a project estimator and key account manager with over 12 years’ experience in international business, customer service and strategic account development. Originally from Ukraine, she has worked across the UK and Europe in roles supporting cross-cultural trade, sustainable energy, and export growth.
Angelina currently works at SunGift Solar in Exeter, where she manages key operations and maintenance accounts, and supports residential and commercial solar projects. Alongside this, she runs a freelance consultancy advising businesses on customer experience, international sales, and market development.
She holds master’s degrees in both Business Management and Law, and speaks four languages fluently. Angelina is passionate about building bridges between cultures and creating long-term value in the communities she serves.
Merrydith Russell
Merrydith (she/her) is a PhD researcher working with locally displaced communities to better understand, connect, and support underrepresented groups through creative platforms. Her current research explores mapping methods as a way to investigate landscapes of home. By engaging with memory work, past dwellings, and present experiences, she examines diverse home-making practices that challenge and expand our understanding of both internal and external displacement.
Merrydith has supported Ukrainian individuals in their journeys of departure and arrival to the UK, including aid delivery efforts near the Ukrainian–Polish border to emergency accommodation. Back in the UK, she collaborates closely with Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support, as well as city stakeholders such as KARST Gallery and the Royal Institute of British Architects.