Vasyl Kostyuk Funds the Development of a Large-Scale Rehabilitation Centre in the Lviv Region
A charitable foundation established by entrepreneur Vasyl Kostyuk has allocated UAH 4 million towards the reconstruction of the Isydor Dolnytsky Spiritual and Psychological Centre, part of the Svitlytsia Retreat and Recreation Complex in Briukhovychi.
Upon completion, the 4,025-square-metre centre will be able to accommodate up to 150 people simultaneously. Approximately 65% of the main construction work has already been completed. The remaining stages include interior finishing, furnishing and landscaping.
A Comprehensive Approach to Recovery
Vasyl Kostyuk explained that the project is based on a comprehensive approach to the recovery of people affected by the war. It brings together four key areas: psychological rehabilitation, spiritual support, education and social interaction.
This model is designed to address a challenge faced by many rehabilitation programmes in Ukraine: individuals receive high-quality professional assistance, but once their treatment or rehabilitation course ends, they return to the same environment from which they were temporarily removed.
According to the philanthropist, the centre in Briukhovychi is being developed as an environment that supports extended stays, collaborative activities, learning and the restoration of social connections.
The location reinforces this concept. The Svitlytsia complex is situated in a forest park area, close enough to the city to remain accessible, yet sufficiently removed from the urban environment to provide peace and distance from everyday pressures.
Vasyl Kostyuk: Bringing Two Traditions Together
Vasyl Kostyuk explained why he decided to support this particular initiative:
“We tend to think that psychological support is an invention of the last century. However, the practice of spiritual retreats, in which a person steps away from everyday noise and has time for reflection and introspection, has existed within the Church for hundreds of years. In Briukhovychi, these two traditions do not compete; they complement each other. I believe this is precisely the kind of combination that we need most at this time.”
The foundation's funding has been allocated towards the construction component of the project. Vasyl Kostyuk noted that, for him and his charitable foundation, this contribution represents an investment in creating a space where people can find inner strength, receive the support they need and gradually return to an active life.
This approach differs from the most common model of charitable giving in Ukraine, which focuses primarily on one-off, individually targeted assistance. Investment in infrastructure generates long-term benefits: once completed, the 150-bed centre will operate for years and provide rehabilitation services to thousands of people.
Vasyl Kostyuk is a Ukrainian investor, entrepreneur, lawyer, philanthropist and patron of charitable initiatives. For more than three years, he has provided financial support for the development of karate in Ukraine. He is the founder of the Vasyl Kostyuk Charitable Foundation, which implements social and humanitarian projects.
