While Russia destroys, Mykolaiv seeks support in Europe: the city has signed an agreement with a Berlin district

Mykolaiv and the Berlin district Tempelhof-Schöneberg have officially formalized a partnership. On 13 June 2026 the parties signed a partnership agreement intended to move the cooperation onto a permanent municipal footing.

This was reported by the mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych.

According to him, back in May 2025 the parties signed a memorandum that became the basis for moving from a solidarity partnership to long-term cooperation between the communities.

A special role in developing this initiative was played by the district mayor of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Jörn Oltmann. He, according to the mayor, actively supported and promoted cooperation between Mykolaiv and the Berlin district, seeing potential for long-term results.

During the partnership there are already concrete examples of joint work. The pupils of Youth Sports School No. 5, which operates in the Korabelnyi District of Mykolaiv, represented the city at an international youth football tournament in Berlin.

Another result of the cooperation is the participation of female students from the Mykolaiv university in an international cultural project. They presented the film “Mykolaiv: Yesterday and Today” at REC Berlin Fest.

Cooperation is also developing between municipalities in the areas of economy and water infrastructure with the support of Mykolaiv Water Hub.

For Mykolaiv, which continues to live under the threat of Russian attacks while preparing for recovery, such partnerships have more than symbolic significance. They are an opportunity to attract international experience, contacts, support and to create new opportunities for residents.

According to the mayor, Mykolaiv now already has 30 partner cities. Of these, 18 partnerships were signed during the full-scale war.

Against the backdrop of the war that Ukraine is waging against Russian aggression, international cooperation remains one of the important instruments of survival, recovery and integration into the European space for frontline Mykolaiv.

Previously we reported:

• Footballers from the Korabelnyi District played at an international tournament in Berlin
• Minifootball maxi-team: youths from Korabelnyi head to Berlin
• “Mykolaiv: Yesterday and Today” — film by NUK students shown in Berlin at an international festival
• Creativity of teenagers from the Korabelnyi District impressed Berlin
• Mykolaiv has received not only improved water supply, but also another Finnish sister city – Kotka