UKRAINIAN SERVICE & CULTURAL CENTER CHERVONA RUTA
WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT
Chervona Ruta is a flower, Red Rue. A symbol of love, hope, and cultural resistance. It’s also a song by a famous Ukrainian songwriter Volodymyr Ivasiuk. He wrote it in his teenage, mesmerized by a legend of a flower blooming red once a year. Once who finds it will always succeed in love. The song went crazy viral throughout the Soviet Union and abroad, raised national pride and hope for cultural and political Renaissance for Ukraine. Ivasiuk was placed under KGB surveillance, and murdered in his 30 years old. They murdered him but his legacy broke the concrete of the totalitarian regime.
We have united to continue that work: to break the concrete that suppresses human potential. Our mission is to dismantle the barriers that prevent people from connecting, regardless of which continent they call home. We foster a space where cultural exchange, economic growth, and creative fulfillment can thrive despite any obstacle. By reimagining outdated models and integrating the world’s best practices, we are developing an innovative approach to immigrant integration—one that serves as a blueprint for empowering all marginalized communities.
Reimagining
Refugee Ecosystem
Modern-Day Immigrant Integration Models
Immigrant Hub
Policy Updates, Actions, Security check, Resources
Community
Events, Community Updates, Stories
Integration Services
For refugees, immigrants and communities in need
MISSION
To architect a modern integration ecosystem for Ukrainian refugees and diverse immigrant communities, transforming the journey from displacement to belonging into a shared opportunity for social and economic growth.
VALUES
Rooted in the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, we view those we serve as partners, not projects. Dignity at the center of serving model empowers individuals to overcome whatever circumstances and reclaim their role as architects of their own lives.
STRATEGY
We don't just provide services; we build the infrastructure for self-reliance. By creating an open ecosystem, we link the resilience of our newcomers with the strengths of our local community. Our goal is to ensure every person has the power to architect their own life and find their place in our shared future.
THE CENTER OF OUR DREAMS
The Ukrainian Resource and Cultural Center is envisioned as a holistic, refugee-led hub that functions as a modern integration ecosystem, designed specifically to transform the journey from displacement to belonging. Moving beyond traditional aid models, the center views those it serves as active partners and architects of their own lives, utilizing a culturally competent, trauma-informed approach recommended by the UNHCR. It offers comprehensive programs—including intensive case management, mental health support, small business incubators, and workforce development—all integrated to foster economic self-sufficiency, social connection, and an active contribution to the San Francisco community. The dream center is a vibrant civic space where individuals access essential services while reclaiming their agency and building a shared future.
OUR TEAM
DAVID BOGACHYK
Co-Founder, Executive Director
David relocated from Kyiv to SF LGBTQ community in 2015. A social psychologist, psychotherapist, and educator, he has spent his years in the Bay Area advocating for justice, investigating and covering the critical issues for San Francisco vulnerable communities.
Following the full-scale invasion, he dedicated himself to volunteering for Ukrainian war refugees. Recognizing that many newcomers – and local low-income communities – struggle to access essential resources, David founded this center. Having gone through three revolutions back in Ukraine, David understand the profound resilience required to build a new future. His mission is to evolve the social service model into a modern, contemporary system that treats every individual as an architect of their own life.
HANNA SMOVZH
Co-Founder, Community Outreach
Hanna moved to San Francisco after breaking through from Bucha while it was still under occupation. She with two sons drove down the streets littered with her neighbors dead bodies. They moved to the U.S. soon thereafter. Read her story here.
Hanna was a small business owner, back in Bucha, she used to help a lot of female-led enterprises. She is passionate about developing business incubators that would transform refugees’ lives in the host society.
NATALIIA LIAKHOVSKA
Program Manager
Nataliia is a physician and clinical immunologist with a PhD, specializing in the research of human immune systems. After relocating to San Francisco following the full-scale invasion, she integrated her background as a New York-based international exchange specialist with her passion for humanitarian work. Nataliia is a firm believer in the power of community support; she views kindness and mutual aid as essential tools for building a better world and a brighter, more peaceful future.