Winners of the First Regional Open Media Festival “MediaFest 2026” Announced

On June 15, 2026, the award ceremony for the winners of the First Regional Open Media Festival “MediaFest 2026” was held online. The festival was organized by the Department of Ukrainian Language and Journalism of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Berdyansk State Pedagogical University.

The festival became a creative platform for secondary school pupils and university students interested in journalism and contemporary media. Participants submitted original works under the theme “Speaking About What Matters in the Media: People, Events, and Change,” presenting their own perspectives on socially significant issues through photography, video, storytelling, and even memes.

The event was opened by Maryna Bohdanova, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, who welcomed the participants and their academic supervisors. In her address, she thanked the contestants for their creativity, initiative, and engagement with contemporary social issues. She also expressed her appreciation to the Department of Ukrainian Language and Journalism for organizing the festival and providing young people with an opportunity to make their voices heard.

The award ceremony was moderated by Khrystyna Pyrohova, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Ukrainian Language and Journalism. She first announced the winners among secondary school students representing Berdyansk Gymnasium “Harmony” and the Palace of Children and Youth of the Berdyansk City Council, Zaporizhzhia Region.

Best Meme

• І: Daria Pavlenko
• ІІ: Viktoriia Antypova, Emiliia Khardina, and Dmytro Dudin

Best Photograph

• І: Uliana Sheludko and Yevhen Tiutiunyk
• ІІ: Dariia Antonenko
• ІІІ: Sofiia Stoiachko

Best Storytelling

• І: Oleh Bazaria and Anastasiia Ostrivna

Best Video

• І: Creative team consisting of Viktoriia Rozhkova, Anastasiia Ostrivna, and Milana Lazarchuk
• ІІІ: Anastasiia Pochtar

The ceremony continued with the announcement of the winners among university students.

Best Storytelling

• І: Karina Vasylieva
• ІІ: Danylo

Best Photograph

• І: Anastasiia Kharchenko

Following the award presentation, participants enjoyed a showcase of the winning entries. The selected photographs, videos, stories, and memes received the highest scores from the jury and stood out for their originality, creative approach, and successful interpretation of the festival theme. The presentation once again demonstrated the ability of young people to use modern media creatively while addressing socially important issues.

All winners received certificates signed by the Rector of Berdyansk State Pedagogical University, Ihor Bohdanov, along with university-branded souvenirs.

The first MediaFest 2026 demonstrated the growing interest of young people in journalism, photography, video production, and digital media. The organizers hope that the festival will become a long-standing university tradition, introducing new talented authors every year and inspiring young media creators to speak about important issues through the language of modern media.

Based on materials provided by the Department of Ukrainian Language and Journalism