Григорій Козловський 
In Lviv, with the support of FC Ruh founder Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy, the football field at the Mriya Educational and Rehabilitation Center has been reconstructed. The facility’s students now have a modern sports field with artificial turf, an efficient drainage system, and updated lighting. The children also received football kits and other gear from the club many of them support.
The initiative responded to the center’s need to create proper conditions for sports activities. Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy and the Ruh team supported the reconstruction, and the work was completed within a few weeks. The children can now play football on a quality surface and spend more time on active games.
“We updated the lighting and reconstructed the field, which now has new turf and a modern drainage system. I believe this is the only field of such high quality in Lviv, apart from the one at the Ruh Academy,” said Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy.
The club’s founder emphasized that even during wartime, it is important to create positive moments for children, support their interests, and open up new opportunities. For Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy, developing youth football is not only about training future athletes, but also about contributing to the health, confidence, and social adaptation of the younger generation.
The Mriya center educates 235 children with special educational needs. Among its students are orphans, children deprived of parental care, and displaced persons who were forced to leave their homes because of the war. For them, access to quality sports infrastructure is especially important: team games help develop communication skills, build connections, and become more actively involved in community life.
Halyna Pyrch, head of the Mriya Educational and Rehabilitation Center, thanked Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy and FC Ruh for their swift response to the request. She noted that the facility had long been seeking support to create a modern football field, and that the new field has given the children more opportunities for full-fledged sports activities.
“Today is truly a historic day for our center and for every one of our students. Sports rehabilitation is an integral part of our children’s development and adaptation, and having our own modern, professional football field right on the facility’s grounds is an incredible joy. We sincerely thank our benefactor Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy and the project’s organizer Olha Vytak for this invaluable gift, for their care and generosity. You should have seen the children’s eyes when they stepped onto this professional turf for the first time! I am confident this field will bring them many bright victories, happy moments, and help uncover new talents,” said Halyna Pyrch.
The official opening was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy, project initiator Olha Vytak, Mriya center director Halyna Pyrch, and student Larysa Shandor. The field was put to use right away, as Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy and student Mykola Nazin took the first symbolic kick of the ball.
The children tried out the new football field and shared their first impressions. Mykola Nazin and Bohdan Oleksandrov, students at the Mriya center, said they love football, support Ruh, and dream of becoming professional footballers one day. The boys also thanked everyone for the new field and the gear from their favorite club.
An important part of the initiative was the further cooperation between the club and the educational institution. Ruh and the Mriya center signed a memorandum providing for training sessions for the children with Ruh Academy coaches and attendance at the team’s matches.
“This will allow the children to become part of the football community, get to know the training process, and feel like members of a larger sports community,” said Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy.
The project also demonstrates how football infrastructure can serve not only sporting results but also broader social needs. Supporting children’s initiatives, ensuring access to training, and cooperating with professional clubs help create conditions in which children can realize their potential regardless of their life circumstances.
It is worth noting that the Ruh football academy, led by its founder Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy, is implementing a modern model for developing young players, combining football with scientific research, medical support, digital solutions, and artificial intelligence. Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy recently organized a conference in Lviv titled “Sports Science at the Ruh Academy,” presenting the academy’s experience and inviting representatives from other clubs to exchange professional expertise.
Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy is a Ukrainian businessman who founded FC Ruh and its football academy. He is also known as a patron and philanthropist who supports the development of domestic football, the implementation of social projects, and assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
