Kim: the region must manage to choose everything: a coat of arms, school meals and a candidate for the "Golden Star"

The head of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Kim on April 7, 2026, stated on his Telegram channel that he wants to separately address three issues that the region needs to resolve in the near future.

The first of them – a vote for the new coat of arms of Mykolaiv Oblast. According to the head of the RMA, a chatbot @hvylka_bot has been created for this purpose, which is intended to minimize outside interference, so residents were asked to vote again. After that, deputies at the session should decide between the two options, taking into account the results of the two online votes and the wishes of the communities. The process of updating the region’s coat of arms is already underway, and communities were previously involved in discussing the new symbols.

The second issue concerns school meals. Vitaliy Kim reported that the experiment to monitor food quality via “Khvylka” has already produced 9 applications, of which 4 are currently being processed by the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection. He also announced that starting from April 8, 2026, another 40 schools in the region will be added to this monitoring. Previously, the RMA reported that this digital tool was created specifically to collect and systematize complaints about school meals, and at the first stage the service operated in pilot mode and was to cover 40 educational institutions.

The third block – the search for a candidate for the highest state award, the “Golden Star”. Kim said that by April 15, 2026 the region must submit one person who has done something truly outstanding for the defense of Ukraine. He clarified that proposals must comply with the requirements of the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 02.12.2002 No. 1114/2002 “On the title Hero of Ukraine” and should involve exceptional merits related to distinguished personal heroism and a feat performed under conditions of risk to life. This decree specifies that the order “Golden Star” is awarded for carrying out a remarkable heroic act.

Proposals for candidates, according to the head of the region, can be sent to the email address veteran@mk.gov.ua. That is, within one week Mykolaiv region essentially has to simultaneously reach agreement on the new symbols, strengthen control over what children are fed in schools, and determine the person the region is ready to recommend for the highest state award for heroism.

Previously, we wrote:

• Another 26 families waited: defenders from Mykolaiv region were freed from captivity
• The first complaints to the bot about school food have already arrived: what is happening in the region’s schools
• Artificial intelligence instead of water and roads: “Khvylka” — a digital consultant — was launched in Mykolaiv region
• Millions for awards: Mykolaiv city council ordered more than two thousand “For the Defense of Mykolaiv” decorations
• The President presented the highest military award to the mother of a fallen Mykolaiv hero who changed the course of the battle