To Copenhagen without a ticket: a portal for live communication has been installed in Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv and Copenhagen can now literally look each other in the eye

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09 Sep 2026

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An unusual digital portal has appeared in Mykolaiv that in real time connects the city with Copenhagen and Aalborg in Denmark. Thanks to a large screen and a camera, people on both sides can see and hear each other virtually as if they were in the same room. The connection will operate until 16 September 2026 as part of the Danish-Ukrainian initiative Human Bonds – “Strong Bonds”.

The portal’s launch was announced by Mykolaiv’s deputy mayor Serhii Mykolayovych Koreniev. The initiative is being implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live. Officially the digital portals are operating from 8 to 16 September 2026: in Copenhagen – on the Town Hall Square from 8 to 11 September, and in Aalborg – in Utzon Park from 15 to 16 September 2026.

The project’s idea is not simply a video link between officials. The organizers want to give Ukrainians and Danes the opportunity to speak directly about everyday life during the war, reconstruction, work, youth, culture, veterans, infrastructure and other topics. Some sessions in Denmark are open to ordinary visitors, who can approach the portal and join the conversation with Mykolaiv.

One of the first professional discussions via the portal was on the topic of water resilience in Ukraine during the full-scale war. The meeting “Water resilience in Ukraine during wartime” took place on 8 September 2026 and connected participants in Mykolaiv and Copenhagen. Representatives of authorities, the water sector, technical experts and NEFCO joined the discussion.

This topic is of particular importance for Mykolaiv. After the destruction by Russian forces of the stable water supply system, the city had for years to operate under acute water problems while simultaneously restoring and modernizing worn-out networks.

The discussion covered not only how to provide residents with water now, but also how to create a system capable of operating during war, accidents and other crises. NEFCO notes that the discussion was built on concrete experience from projects in the Mykolaiv region financed by Denmark, and aimed to help identify further opportunities for Ukrainian-Danish cooperation.

From the Ukrainian side, participants in the discussion included, in particular, the deputy head of the Mykolaiv OVA Mykola Mykolayovych Marinov and Valerii Vyshnyakov from iC consulenten. The Danish side was represented, among others, by the head of the Office of the Embassy of Denmark in Mykolaiv Jakob Tørrild Hansen.

The digital portal represents more than symbolic communication. Denmark is already participating in concrete infrastructure projects in Mykolaiv, a significant portion of which is administered by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation NEFCO.

One of the most important directions for residents of the Korabelnyi district is the reconstruction of water mains. The project “Non-Revenue Water” covers various components of network modernization with a total length of almost 39 km. One of the major stages foresees laying about 23 km of new water piping. Funding is provided by the Government of Denmark through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with funds managed by NEFCO.

The goal is not simply to replace old pipes. The project aims to reduce leaks, improve water metering, detect failures faster and make water supply in the Korabelnyi district more stable.

In parallel, with the support of Denmark, the construction of 3 solar power plants is planned in Mykolaiv. A grant of €7.2 million has been allocated for this direction. Another €7.2 million was envisaged for modernization of centralized heat supply, including the installation of individual heat substations and energy efficiency measures.

In 2026 NEFCO has already announced procurements within the project for installing individual heat substations in multi-storey residential and public buildings in Mykolaiv, as well as for the reconstruction of heating networks using pre-insulated pipes. The project is financed by grant funds from the Government of Denmark and local co-financing.

Thus, the portal between Mykolaiv and Denmark has become not only a technological curiosity. Through it, the parties discuss problems that residents directly feel – from water and energy resilience to reconstruction. At the same time, the main measure of such a partnership for residents will remain not the number of international meetings, but how quickly agreements turn into new pipes, stable water, heat and electricity.