Oleksii Aleksandrovych from Zaporizhzhia is 17 years old and has just completed 11th grade. This young man stands out for his proactivity, communication skills, and determination to bring ambitious ideas to life. Oleksii is a vivid representative of GoGlobal’s «Victory Generation» — a new wave of young Ukrainians who, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, haven’t backed down but instead began actively initiating and implementing socially important projects for their communities and the country as a whole.

Currently, Oleksii is working on an innovative history-themed board game designed to make learning history exciting and engaging, instead of just memorizing dates and names.

His story is a powerful example of how youth can already change the country today. Support Oleksii in his project — and other initiatives by members of the “Victory Generation” — with your donations

A Board Game Instead of a Textbook

A year and a half ago, during a regular history class, Oleksii had a thought: the process of studying this subject could be far more interesting and effective.

Instead of memorizing facts, he proposed a radically new approach — a role-playing board game based on a specific historical era. Players would receive cards representing different historical stages: the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, the Cossack period, the Golden Horde, and prominent historical figures.

«The main feature of the game is the combination of real historical events with alternative scenarios. Players have to analyze actual historical events and imagine possible alternatives. In other words, they create alternate histories — but to do that, they must first know the real one well,» Oleksii explains.

For example, if the game touches on the signing of the Union of Krewo, players can choose not to sign the agreement and then analyze what consequences this could have brought.

«History is not just about dates — it's about analysis, conclusions, and inspiration we can draw from the past. Unfortunately, history is often presented only as a list of dates and facts. And all we retain are names and terms — nothing more,» says Oleksii.

From Skepticism to Support

At first, Oleksii’s idea wasn’t well received. He approached three history teachers — two of whom responded with skepticism. They believed that studying history through alternative outcomes would only confuse students.

However, one teacher became interested and even encouraged him to consult experts to develop the idea further. Since then, Oleksii has been actively working on implementing the project and seeking support.

When Technology Brings the Past to Life

A turning point came when Oleksii joined Dive in ESTEAM, a tech camp for high school students from border, frontline, and de-occupied communities, organized by GoGlobal. There, he met peers who shared his vision of blending modern technology with culture and history.

One example was a virtual museum project launched by a Ukrainian IT company during the camp, involving the participants.

«We became model characters: they photographed us, and then processed the images using AI in the style of decolonized Ukrainian artists. My photo, for example, was reimagined in the style of Aivazovsky. From these artworks, they built a virtual museum. It showed how modern tech can interact with historical context,» Oleksii shares.

A Team Formed Overnight

After the camp, Oleksii unexpectedly received support from his mother, who found out about the UPSHIFT program by UNICEF — which allows young people to go through training and receive resources to bring their ideas to life. The deadline was in one hour.

«I quickly wrote out the idea — how we need to change the way history is taught. I gathered a team of four people, without even telling them — they only found out the next day,» Oleksii laughs.

Fortunately, his friends supported the idea, and their team — named Hist-Makers — was accepted to the bootcamp: an intensive program to develop projects. There, they refined the concept and planned two major events to present and test the game.

The first event was dedicated to Ukrainian culture — a five-hour program with folk art workshops, handmade exhibitions, and contests. The second event featured a historian’s lecture and a full game presentation.

The team received a grant of 160,000 UAH, which allowed them to organize another large-scale event dedicated to Ukrainian Christmas — complete with master classes, lectures, a market, and even a traditional vertep (nativity play).

«We can’t create something new without knowing the old. To build culture and history, you must understand their roots. That’s why our events were aligned with the core goal of the project,» Oleksii concludes.

Project Development and Promotion

Now, Oleksii is working to bring his history game to a national level. The Hist-Makers team has received a new grant for their educational project, with potential integration into Ukraine’s school curriculum.

«Our goal is to prove that history should be learned through analysis and understanding — not rote memorization. Our game shows that history is more than a list of dates and names — it’s a chance to see change and draw inspiration to create it,» Oleksii explains.

Youth as a Driving Force of Change

Oleksii’s plans are ambitious and realistic. He hopes to enter Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, saying: «Someone has to rebuild the country.»

In just one year, this 17-year-old from Zaporizhzhia went from idea to full-scale project implementation — proving that «Victory Generation» is more than just a slogan. It’s the daily work of young people already shaping Ukraine’s future through educational innovation.

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