30 kilometers of mountain hikes carrying a load, sleeping under the open sky in shelters made of branches, and testing psychological resilience. A 10-month leadership training program has begun at the Uzhhorod branch of the Ukrainian Academy of Leadership.
A traditional survival training camp for the new class of students at the Uzhhorod branch of the Ukrainian Academy of Leadership (UAL) took place in the Carpathian forests of Zakarpattia. Thirty-eight young men and women challenged their own fears, physical exhaustion, and the harsh trials of the wilderness as part of the “Formation” training program.
An intensive 10-month training program lies ahead for the young participants, but it was this very first hike that served as the starting point for building true team unity.
Life Without Tents and Team Responsibility
Instead of comfortable accommodations—a Spartan field camp: shelters built by hand from branches, gathering firewood to cook meals, steep slopes, and a 30-kilometer hike with heavy backpacks.
The main goal of the training is not only physical exertion but also profound psychological growth for each participant.
“The training is designed to immerse participants in survival challenges and test their psychological resilience. The main thing is to learn how to manage one’s emotions—fear, fatigue, or anger—and to be able to take responsibility. After the challenges, we reflect together around the campfire: we analyze mistakes, highlight strengths, and give students the freedom to plan their own training day,” said Ivan Sapsa, head of the Uzhhorod branch of the UAL.
Support for the Initiative and Synergy of Efforts
Representatives of local government, the civil society sector, and security experts joined in organizing and providing comprehensive support for the event: Georgiy Horvat, a deputy of the Transcarpathian Regional Council; Roman Tarabiy, chairman of the Mukachevo District Council; representatives of the NGO “Mukachevo Shield”; instructors from the Transcarpathian Center for Training the Population in National Resistance; as well as past graduates of the UAL.
Heorhiy Horvat welcomed young people from all over Ukraine to the hospitable land of Transcarpathia, emphasizing the importance of supporting such educational initiatives:
“We are always ready to support such projects and contribute to the development and education of our future generation. I would like to thank the mentors for their work and, above all, our defenders—both men and women—thanks to whom we have the opportunity to strengthen our youth under a peaceful sky.”
The kilometers traveled, the challenges overcome, and the experience of self-reliant survival have laid a solid foundation for the development of leadership qualities in students, who are learning to take responsibility for themselves, their team, and the future of the country.
