A Story of Strength, Creativity, and Belief

Iryna Vasylchenko is a theater and film actress, philologist, educator, creative editor, screenplay adaptation editor, and a person who brings dreams to life. Her journey is a combination of love for art, dedication to education, and unwavering faith in the future.

Education and Teaching Career - Born in the city of Torez, Donetsk region, Iryna completed her schooling and then enrolled at Slavic State Pedagogical University, where she earned her philological degree. The master’s program gave her the right to teach Ukrainian language and literature, Russian language and literature, foreign literature, and world literature in universities, schools, colleges, and lyceums.

After graduating, she worked for two years at a school in her hometown, sharing her love for words and literature with students. But the war changed everything: in 2014, due to the occupation, Iryna was forced to leave her native home.

From Dream to Reality: Acting Career - After relocating to Kyiv, Iryna took a bold step toward her childhood dream by enrolling in the acting department and began her journey in the world of theater and film. Her talent, dedication to her craft, and perseverance opened the doors to the world of cinematography. Leading roles in feature films, work in TV series, theater, and her love for both stage and screen became her reality.

Iryna also has extensive experience working as a radio creator and creative editor, writing entire projects, programs, and scripts for TV and radio hosts. This experience broadened her creative vision, taught her to work with texts more deeply and precisely, and gave her the opportunity to inspire listeners through words.

However, she never stopped improving. After the start of the full-scale invasion, Iryna went to France, where she dedicated two years to studying the French language, acting skills, and psychology. Her training at a film school gave her a fresh perspective on her profession and allowed her to delve even deeper into the art of acting.

Present: Teaching, Creativity, and Belief in the Future - Today, Iryna is back in Ukraine. She continues her acting career, working in films and TV series, teaches online, and helps children and adults master the art of speech. She teaches language, literature, public speaking, and acting. She is also involved in adapting screenplays, creating new cinematic stories.

In addition to her creative work and teaching, Iryna has many years of volunteer experience. Back in her hometown of Torez, she was actively involved in community initiatives, helping those in need.

In Kyiv, she continued this path, contributing to volunteer efforts during Euro 2012, participating in environmental campaigns such as “Let’s Clean Up Ukraine,” cleaning beaches, and assisting charity hubs with writing texts and informational materials. During the war, she supported humanitarian initiatives, helped displaced people, and contributed to military aid collections.

Iryna also worked with the CrimeSOS organization, where, along with the team, she helped internally displaced persons from Crimea, Donbas, and Luhansk adapt to their new lives, providing them with necessary support, information, and resources.

FemSMS: Sensitivity that Provides Strength to Move Forward - In addition to her acting career, Iryna collaborates with Kristen on the FemSMS project, which offers supportive messages for women during difficult times of war and life’s challenges.

“Support is the most valuable gift we can give one another. Sometimes, just a few words are enough to give someone the strength to keep going. This project is not just a job for me, it’s a mission because we all need light in dark times.”

FemSMS is a reminder that there is always someone by your side who believes in you and is ready to lend a helping hand, even if it’s only possible through words across the distance.

Faith in the Path

Iryna Vasylchenko does not stop. She believes that every moment of life has its purpose, and that all events come together to form a larger puzzle of destiny.

“I will relentlessly move towards my goals. I believe that nothing is in vain. Every step, even the hardest one, is necessary because it leads to something greater. And ahead lies much more light, art, and life.”

This is only the beginning. Ahead are many accomplishments, art, and life. Iryna wants to conclude this chapter of her story with the words of Peter Drucker: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”