Paievska Yuliia

Yullia "Tayra" Paievska was born on 19 December 1968 in Kyiv. 

She graduated from Kyiv school №163; later she mastered practical psychology in Berdiansk Pedagogical University.

Since 1991, she had been an aikido coach for over 20 years (dan 5, sidoin). Before 2014, she worked in book and commercial design, and art pottery.

Since 2013-1024 she has been a paramedic and combat medic. Since the beginning of Russian aggression, she has been working in medical evacuations from combat zone. She founded the volunteer military unit "Tayra’s Angels" that provided medical aid and evacuation of the wounded from the contact line. During the years of war, she personally provided first aid to over 1000 people, both military servicemen and civilians. 

In 2018-2020, she served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a commander of evacuation unit of the 61^st military mobile hospital (sergeant junior). At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, she was involved in the evacuation of the wounded and did triage in Hospital 555 in besieged Mariupol. She was taken captive by Russians while evacuating civilians from Mariupol and exchanged in June 2022. Today, she is a psychologist officer on the 2^nd corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Khartia" (lieutenant).

After being released from captivity, she has been actively involved in representing Ukraine at international advocacy venues such as the UN, European Parliament, Munich Security Conference, World Economic Forum in Davos etc.

She has been awarded the Order of Liberty, honor badge "Glory and Honour", People’s Hero of Ukraine award. Paievska is also a laureate of the International Women of Courage Prize, Magnitsky Prize, Lev Kopelev Prize etc.

She is a prizewinner of international veteran sports games, winner of the Warrior Games (2022), prizewinner of the Invictus Games (2023), and ambassador of the Invictus Games Ukraine.

She is the author of the poetry book Live ("Наживо"), various essays and mobilization speeches.