Empower Anti-War Russians abroad

We would like to thank the GlobalGiving platform for the opportunity to develop our project “The Ark (Kovcheg).” During this reporting period, we did not receive donations through GlobalGiving, and we believe it is important to state this openly. The main reason was the lack of focused fundraising efforts on this platform, as our limited resources were directed toward other priority areas of organizational development.

Impact and Results: Q1 2026

Nevertheless, this period was meaningful and productive for our team. During the first three months of 2026 (January–March):

• Legal Assistance: we conducted 912 legal consultations. Additionally, during this period, 2,221 applications for legal aid were successfully processed.

• Emergency Assistance: over this quarter, 29 people were provided with emergency housing in our shelters.

• Psychological Support: 92 individuals received one-on-one psychological consultations from our volunteer specialists.

Regional Development and Human Rights

We continue to support people in vulnerable situations and maintain our emergency housing network across six key cities: Batumi, Yerevan, Belgrade, Kutaisi, Novi Sad, and Tbilisi.

In collaboration with other human rights organizations, we remain dedicated to preventing unlawful deportations and extraditions. We also maintain an active dialogue with international institutions regarding the protection of rights for citizens facing bank account freezes and other legal barriers.

Educational and Professional Support

Educational and professional programs remain a vital pillar of our work. Currently:

• Hundreds of participants have attended webinars, clubs, and training sessions organized by “The Ark (Kovcheg) Business.”

• We continue to facilitate psychological support groups, helping individuals adapt to new environments and navigate crisis situations.

Strategic Vision for 2026

We are continuing our work on practical guides, including safety instructions and analyses of complex legal issues. During this period, we focused on repositioning “The Ark (Kovcheg)” as an organization dedicated to building a strong community of anti-war Russians on both sides of the border.

Our plans for 2026 include:

1. Active Fundraising: launching targeted campaigns on GlobalGiving with clear financial goals.

2. Sustainability: engaging specialized volunteers to increase the project's visibility on international platforms.

3. Continuous Aid: providing ongoing legal advice, psychological consultations, language courses, and professional retraining opportunities.

Links:

• Report for the 4 years

We would like to thank the GlobalGiving platform for the opportunity to develop our project “Ark.” During this reporting period, we did not receive donations through GlobalGiving, and we believe it is important to state this openly. The main reason was the lack of focused fundraising efforts on this platform, as our limited resources were directed toward other priority areas of organizational development.

Nevertheless, this period was meaningful and productive for our team. Over the reporting year, more than 1,500 people received free legal assistance. If all of these requests had been provided as one-hour consultations by a single lawyer, it would have required more than 187 eight-hour working days to handle this volume of cases.

We also significantly expanded direct support for people in vulnerable situations. During this period, we began providing emergency housing in five new cities—Batumi, Belgrade, Kutaisi, Novi Sad, and Tbilisi. Together with other human rights organizations, we helped prevent the deportation of an activist from Germany to Russia, stopped the extradition to Belarus of an 18-year-old woman accused of “extremism” in her home country, and assisted a deserter whom Russian authorities attempted to forcibly remove from Armenia. In addition, we submitted a letter to the European Commission regarding the blocking of Russian citizens’ accounts by Revolut and received an official response.

Educational and professional programs became another important focus of our work. In 2025, 5,478 people attended webinars, clubs, masterclasses, and training sessions organized by “Kovcheg Business.” To accommodate all participants offline, dozens of standard lecture halls would have been required. In total, we held 337 online and offline events during the year—an achievement that would not have been possible without the contribution of volunteers, mentors, and instructors.

At the same time, we continued to develop our psychological support services. Volunteer psychologists of “Ark” conducted 871 individual consultations. In addition, we launched 58 support groups, through which 936 people received assistance.

Another important area of work was the preparation of practical and in-demand guides, including safety guidance following the designation of the IELTS exam organizers and the developer of the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. as “undesirable” organizations. We also analyzed many other complex and sensitive issues—topics we would rather not revisit during the New Year season.

During the reporting period, we also focused on repositioning “Ark” as an organization dedicated to building a strong community of anti-war Russians on both sides of the border. This direction has become an essential part of our mission and long-term vision.

Looking ahead, we are committed to making much more active use of the GlobalGiving platform for fundraising. Our plans include launching campaigns with clear financial targets, preparing engaging visual and written materials, and involving volunteers with fundraising expertise. We are confident that these steps will help us attract new donors, increase visibility, and move steadily toward financial sustainability.

In 2026, we will continue to support Russians on both sides of the border by providing legal advice, psychological consultations, language courses, and opportunities for professional retraining.

We express our sincere gratitude to GlobalGiving and to everyone who follows and supports the work of “Ark.” Despite the absence of donations during this period, we believe that the foundations we have built—expanding our team, strengthening communication channels, and developing key areas of assistance—provide a solid basis for future growth.

Links:

• New landing page