Two Ukrainian wine professionals awarded conflict scholarships
Two Ukrainian wine professionals who were forced to leave their country following Russia’s invasion have been awarded the 2026 Artémis Domaines Golden Vines Victims of Conflict Scholarships. The programme will give both recipients fully funded six-month internships at estates within the Artémis Domaines portfolio.
Eleonora Kolieichik (left) and Anastasiia Igorevna Fedchenko (right) have been named as the recipients of the 2026 Artémis Domaines Golden Vines Victims of Conflict Scholarships.
The initiative, created by Liquid Icons, the Gérard Basset Foundation and Artémis Domaines, supports wine professionals whose lives and careers have been disrupted by war and geopolitical conflict.
Each recipient will receive a fully funded, bespoke six-month internship at one of the estates within the Artémis Domaines portfolio.
These include Beaux-Frères, Bouchard Père & Fils, Champagne Jacquesson, Château Latour, Château-Grillet, Clos de Tart, Domaine d’Eugénie, Vignoble des Cabottes and Eisele Vineyard.
Placements will be tailored to the scholars’ experience and long-term ambitions, with opportunities across viticulture, winemaking, production, hospitality, communications and marketing.
Rebuilding careers after war
Kolieichik, who is originally from eastern Ukraine, is now based in Paris, where she works as a sommelier and commercial assistant at Archives.
Fedchenko, originally from Odesa, now lives in Tarragona and works as a wine data specialist at AVU Luxury Wine.
Both were forced to leave Ukraine because of the war and rebuild their careers in another country.
The pair were selected from 26 applicants, the highest number received since the programme began.
Romané Basset, head of operations and co-founding trustee of the Gérard Basset Foundation, said: “This year’s scholarships attracted 26 applications from all over the world, the highest number since the programme was established, highlighting both the growing recognition of the initiative and the continuing need to support talented professionals whose careers have been interrupted by conflict.
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“The war in Ukraine may no longer dominate the daily news agenda, but for those whose lives and careers have been disrupted, its effects are obviously real and ongoing. These scholarships are about investing in talent, creating opportunity and ensuring that gifted wine professionals are not defined by the circumstances they have endured.
“We are delighted to welcome Eleonora and Anastasiia to our community and look forward to working closely with each of them.”
Selected in two rounds
The recipients were chosen through a two-stage judging process led by Ian Harris MBE DipWSET, chair of the board of trustees of the Gérard Basset Foundation, and Jérémy Cukierman MW.
Through their internships, Kolieichik and Fedchenko will gain practical experience at some of the world’s best-known wine estates, with each placement shaped around their professional backgrounds and future goals.
The scholarships form part of the Gérard Basset Foundation’s wider aim to use education, mentorship and professional access to support people whose careers have been interrupted by conflict.
The programme also continues the legacy of Gérard Basset, whose work centred on opening opportunities and nurturing talent across the international wine trade.
Ukrainian wine remains under pressure
As previously reported by the drinks business, Ukraine’s wine sector has continued to operate despite severe disruption since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Producers have faced damage to vineyards and wineries, power shortages, labour disruption and reduced domestic consumption, particularly in the country’s southern wine regions.
Svitlana Tsybak, CEO of Beykush Winery and president of the Ukrainian Association of Craft Winemakers, previously told db that the sector was operating under “constant uncertainty”.
However, she also said the war had made Ukrainian wine more visible internationally, with growing interest from importers, sommeliers and consumers in the country’s indigenous varieties and emerging regional identity.
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