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Editorial: Closing the Year with Learning, Growth, and New Connections
As 2025 comes to an end, Wikimedia communities across the CEE region can look back on a year marked by collaboration, experimentation, and shared learning.
This issue brings updates from the Wikimedia CEE Hub as the team wraps up the year, prepares support plans for 2026, and reflects on key milestones: from Youth Meeting 2025 in Yerevan to strengthened Working Groups and community grants. We also invite you to take part in shaping the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2026 in Cluj-Napoca by filling in the newly launched community survey.
A strong focus of this issue is the Learning Corner, which continues to grow as a space for sharing experiences, methods, and reflections. From documenting overlooked local heritage and improving quality standards in photo contests, to insights from the Wikimedia Youth Conference and innovative educational photowalks, these learning articles offer practical inspiration rooted in real community work. If you have lessons learned or good practices to share, we warmly encourage you to contribute by marking your article as learning.
Across the region, communities remained active despite the winter slowdown. We read about new cross-community collaborations in Central Asia, research initiatives in Ukraine, record-breaking results in Wiki Loves Monuments and Wiki Loves Earth, new WikiClubs and educational partnerships, and campaigns amplifying underrepresented histories, languages, and voices.
Thank you for being part of the CEE Wikimedia community this year. We wish you a restful end of 2025 and look forward to working on the newsletter together in the year ahead.
Happy reading!
Jan Beránek
editor of the CEE Newsleter
- Looking ahead to 2026 — Grant planning and new staff
- CEE Hub Year 4 grant application: We recently submitted our Year 4 grant proposal. The feedback from the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) has been received, and we are now working on applying the suggested changes to ensure we provide the best possible support to communities across the region in 2026.
- Recruitment: Program Specialist: We are nearing the end of the recruitment process for our fourth staff member! After reviewing applications, conducting tests, and two rounds of interviews, we are currently working on the final selection. We look forward to welcoming the new Program Specialist to our team in January 2026.
- Community Grants management
- Rapid Grants Transition: Work on establishing the Rapid Grants management process is continuing. The newly formed CEE Community Grants Management Working Group had its first meeting. To prepare for managing this program next year, the WMF supported us in running a focus group meeting with Rapid Grants beneficiaries. This helped us evaluate the effectiveness of the support the CEE Hub provides to applicants.
- Microgrants Programme: Thank you for your 2025 applications! Due to the funds for Year 3 being fully utilized, applications for the 2025 program are now closed. You can find all submitted applications and their current status here. We're happy to share that we received 29 applications and were able to fund 20 of them in 2025, which is more than the expected 17! This meant we spent approximately 600 EUR more than our initial budget, but the initiatives that we supported were definitely worth it! We also published a Diff article sharing the success of the 2025 program — you can read it here.
- Sofia Information Integrity Forum 2025
The CEE Hub was an official partner of the Forum and supported Wikimedians from Bulgaria in organising the Wikimedia and Information Integrity session.
- The session featured a keynote by Costanza (WMF Anti-Disinformation Strategy Lead), followed by an insightful discussion panel. The panelists shared real examples of how volunteers navigate policy dilemmas, especially when editing on highly emotional or politically sensitive topics.
- A huge thank you to the panelists: Kiril (Wikimedia MKD), Basak (Wikimedia Turkiye), and Milica Ševkušić (Wikimedia Serbia) who joined us onsite, and Nataliia (Wikimedia Ukraine) and Strainu (Wikimedians of Romania and Moldova UG) who connected online. We also want to give a special shout-out to Iglika Ivanova and Nikola Tulechki from Bulgaria who initiated and organized the Wikimedia session!
- The session had around 20 onsite attendees and was also livestreamed on Discord. Our conversations with participants during breaks helped raise Wikimedia awareness among academics and researchers.
- Read more in our Diff blog summarising the Hub's participation in SIIF 2025.
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The Wikimedia speakers at SIIF 2025 -
Keynote by Costanza Sciubba Caniglia from WMF -
Wikimedia CEE Hub at SIIF 2025 -
Wikipedia and Information Integrity discussion panel
- Working Groups take off!
The new Steering Committee established 6 Working Groups (WGs), and following an open call in October, new community members volunteered to join. The first meetings have been conducted to set the direction and kick off cooperation for 2026 activities.
- CEEM WG: Held its first meeting, focusing on delegates and participation, the buddy system, and host support needs for future CEE Meetings.
- Tech Advancement WG: This group has been busy! They prepared the CEE Catch Up for users with extended rights, coordinated a PTAC presentation with WMF, explored future support for campaign tools, and successfully introduced Cat-a-lot across all regional wikis.
- Communication WG: The first meeting focused on communication goals and challenges. The Group agreed to focus on defining the Hub, establishing core values, and clarifying the community role in the coming months.
- Community Capacity Building WG: Welcomed new members and discussed the priorities for the upcoming months.
- Governance WG: Held a consultation meeting with interested community members and discussed the direction for affiliates (including hubs) recently published by the WMF.
- CEE Youth Group updates
- The annual meeting of the most active members of the Group was hosted by Wikimedia Armenia in Yerevan, Armenia. 13 participants from 8 countries took part in sessions focused on key objectives of the CEE Youth Group and planning activities for the next year. You can read more about the meeting here: Wikimedia CEE Hub/Youth Group/Yerevan Meeting 2025.
- We also had an online bi-monthly meeting with 20 participants, where we welcomed new Group members, discussed WG activities, exchanged impressions from the CEE Meeting 2025, discussed plans for the Yerevan Youth Meeting, and shared local youth activities.
- A survey has been launched to map youth-focused activities in CEE & Central Asia — please share it with Wikimedians under 30!
- The Social Media WG, apart from regular activity on Instagram, ran a successful recruitment drive and welcomed 6 new members.
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Participants of Youth Meeting in Yerevan 2025 -
Group work outcomes presentation -
Baking lavash -
Team building activity
- CEE Catch Ups — Final sessions of 2025
We organized the last two CEE Catch Up sessions for 2025:
- Wikipedia 25: Together with WMF representatives, we explored what's planned for Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary, how the campaign will be coordinated globally, and how to organize a memorable local celebration.
- Tools for users with extended rights: Product Managers and Software Engineers from WMF walked us through the latest improvements and ongoing work on tools and features for Users with Extended Rights, followed by an open Q&A session.
The recordings of CEE Catch Up sessions are available at the bottom of the project Meta page.
- Stay updated — You can follow CEE Hub announcements on
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Curious to hear more about the CEE Hub staff updates? Follow our News & Updates page, where we share our monthly highlights!
- By: MagdaBarascu (talk)
The survey is designed to help us better understand the needs, expectations, and interests of attendees. Your input will directly shape the program, logistics, and community activities, ensuring that the meeting reflects the diverse voices of the CEE region.
Why this matters
- Tailored program – Feedback will guide session topics and workshops.
- Inclusive experience – We want to make sure all participants feel represented.
- Community building – Insights will help us strengthen collaboration across countries and projects.
How to participate
Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey here: Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2026 Participant Survey.
Your responses will remain confidential and will only be used to improve the event experience. The survey is open, so don’t miss the chance to contribute to shaping next year’s meeting.
Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2026 will take place between 17 to 20 September 2026 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
We look forward to welcoming you to Cluj-Napoca and making the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2026 a truly collaborative and inspiring gathering!
- By: Edited by Nikos Likomitros, with reports from Nursultan Tengge and Kamola Abduganieva
The Youth Group meetup was organised by Wikimedia Armenia and Wikimedia CEE Hub, being the first time that it didnt happen in Prague, Czech Republic. Eight members of the Group from CEE/CA countries and five from Armenia participated in the discussions, joined by the CEE Hub staff, Armenian Wikimedians, and Karolína, the Czech facilitator of the event, who also helped in the facilitation of Wikimedia Youth Conference 2025.
The purposes of the meetup were to discuss our plans for 2026, think about the challenges and achievements of the members and the group, discuss about stronger Youth involvement in the CEE/CA region with related strategies and movement discussions, as well as, think about ways to further support the group in the future and its members.
The report will include reports by our members Nursultan and Kamola who also attended the event, explaining analytically what happened in this two days.What happened in the first day? - by Nursultan Tengge
The day began with a morning walk from the hotel to the spacious Wikimedia Armenia office. The weather was beautiful and sunny, although slightly frosty in the early hours. Once everyone gathered in the office, we started the day with an introduction session, even though around 90% of the participants already knew each other. The event facilitator, Karolína from Prague, came up with an interactive way to help everyone remember each other's names. She wrote her name on the board, and the next person had to choose one letter from her name and write their own name starting with that letter. This continued until the last participant. After writing their name, each person also shared a short story about its meaning and origin.
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Participants introducing themselves during the opening activity, with Caner writing his name on the board
Following the icebreaker activity, Nikos from Greece, Caner from Turkey, Kamola from Uzbekistan, and I gave short presentations on the group's activities and achievements in 2025. Caner and Kamola presented the results of the Internal Governance Working Group, which was established at the beginning of the year. Nikos focused on the work of the highly active Social Media Working Group. I concluded this session with an overview of the CEE Youth Group's overall progress, not only in 2025 but throughout the nearly three years since its founding. My presentation included statistical and analytical data about the group's members, our bi-monthly meetings, in-person gatherings, and several key facts about the group's development.
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Nikos presenting the achievements and ongoing work of the Social Media Working Group
After the coffee break, we moved on to the session "Leadership skills of young Wikimedians". Participants were divided into smaller groups to discuss and present their main activities, achievements, and challenges over the past year. We then categorised all of the outcomes on a board, discussing them together as a collective.
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Caner and Shahen categorizing the group's achievements and challenges from the past year during the leadership session
Later, we took a 90-minute walk outside, where we discussed several questions related to Wikimedia, as well as our personal achievements and challenges. These discussions were held in pairs, changing partners with each new question. At the end of each round, we formed a circle and each pair shared the key points of their conversation. This part of the day was extremely valuable, as it allowed us to learn more about one another while also exploring Yerevan in the beautiful autumn sunshine. We also had time to take a group photo in one of the city's parks.
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Participants taking a group photo during the reflective walk through evening Yerevan
After the walk, we returned to the office to begin planning the CEE Youth Group's activities for 2026. Four posters were placed around the room, each addressing a different theme, such as: "What can the CEE Youth Group do to support the development of leaders?". Participants moved freely between the posters, adding their ideas and suggestions. This format encouraged open participation without the need for fixed groups.
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A poster collecting participants' ideas for the question: "What can the CEE Youth Group do to support the development of leaders?"
In parallel, another poster-based activity was organised. We formed small teams of three to four people and rotated between the posters, responding to guiding questions such as "Leadership: what has happened so far?". This allowed for more focused teamwork and deeper reflection.
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Team notes and reflections gathered on the question: "Leadership: What has happened so far?"
At the end of the day, we began drawing conclusions based on all the ideas, achievements, and challenges that had been shared. We listed different types of activities and responsibilities for 2026 on posters, covering a wide range of areas — from public relations and communications to contributions to the CEE Newsletter. Participants were then invited to sign up for the areas they were most interested in leading or supporting. As many ideas were proposed, we agreed to prioritise and vote on the most relevant ones the following day.
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Participants summarizing the day's insights and outlining possible activity areas for 2026
To conclude the day, all participants took an official group photo wearing hoodies with the meeting's logo. We then visited the Yerevan History Museum to learn more about the rich history of the city.
What happened in the second day? - by Kamola Abduganieva
The second day of the CEE Youth Group Yerevan Meeting 2025 focused on shaping the group's future direction and setting clear priorities for 2026. After the energetic discussions of Day 1, participants reflected on the Youth Group's achievements so far and identified areas needing more support. The morning began with an open conversation about the challenges young Wikimedians face in their local communities and the impact of recent initiatives. Many highlighted the importance of creating stronger leadership opportunities and a stable structure where young contributors can take initiative with confidence.
One of the key objectives of Day 2 was improving the internal structure of the Youth Group. Several working groups were formed or renewed, each responsible for an important area such as communications, partnerships, and capacity building. Ambassadors were also selected to ensure better representation and smoother collaboration across the region. Seeing everyone participate so actively reminded me how valuable in-person meetings truly are, the best ideas emerge when passionate people gather in one place, listen to each other, and build on each other's strengths.
The day also focused entirely on planning for 2026. Small groups outlined realistic goals around youth empowerment, community engagement, and cross-regional cooperation. Each plan included clear responsibilities and measurable outcomes to ensure actions, not just intentions.
The meeting concluded with an evening exploring Yerevan's rich history and enjoying traditional Armenian cuisine. Participants left with new friendships, inspiration, and a shared belief that youth collaboration is essential for shaping the future of the Wikimedia movement.
- By: JBeranek-WMF (talk)
What to expect:
- A kickoff countdown: A 15-minute pre-party, starting at 15:45 UTC, with Wikipedia trivia and birthday wishes from around the globe. Come early and get warmed up!
- A tour through 25 years of collaboration at its best: Watch how the 300+ language Wikipedias have grown since Wikipedia was born a quarter-century ago with the simple phrase "Hello, World!"
- An ode to the talk page: Honoring the debates, detours, and consensus-building that make Wikipedia special.
- Musical performances: Pieces created with Wikipedia and Wikimedia content, composed for editors.
- Wikipedia games: A chance to test your knowledge to win freshly minted, special-edition Wikipedia 25 merch.
- Spotlights on Wikipedians everywhere: Stories from across regions and generations.
- Special guest appearances: Because every great birthday needs a few unexpected cameos. And yes, your longtime favorites will be there too.
- Streaming to eventyay and YouTube. Available Arabic, Chinese, French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Sign up on-wiki to save the date and for event updates.
- January, February & March contests & campaigns
- Wikipedia’s 25th Anniversary ― January 15, 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Wikipedia! Look out for community-led celebrations and initiatives throughout January to commemorate this major milestone for the free knowledge movement.
- 1Lib1Ref ― Short for "One Librarian, One Reference," this global initiative encourages librarians and free knowledge supporters to improve Wikipedia by adding missing citations. The first session of the year runs annually from January 15 to February 5, celebrating Wikipedia's anniversary.
- Wiki Loves Folklore ― This international photography and media contest celebrates the diverse folk cultures of the world, including folk dances, music, cuisine, festivals, and more. It runs annually from February 1 to March 31. Feminism and Folklore is a parallel writing competition to create and expand articles on feminism, women's biographies, and gender-focused topics with a folk culture theme.
- WikiGap ― This global collaboration focuses on increasing the number of articles about women on Wikipedia to help close the systemic gender gap in free knowledge. Events and online challenges often run throughout February and March, coinciding with International Women's Day. If you are interested in contests focused on feminism, make sure to check Wiki Loves Women as well. Follow your local community's channels for specific contests and dates!
- Ukraine’s Cultural Diplomacy Month ― This is an annual global writing challenge that invites participants from all language Wikipedias to create and improve articles about Ukrainian culture, history, and prominent figures, helping to share Ukraine's cultural heritage with the world. Keep an eye on the Meta-Wiki page for the 2026 dates, which typically fall in the first quarter of the year.
- Upcoming international meetings & conferences in early 2026
- Wikipedia 25 Virtual Celebration ― On January 15 the Wikimedia Foundation is throwing an online Wikipedia birthday party with some special guests and prizes. Register to not miss it!
- Wikimedia Futures Lab ― In person meeting hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia Deutschland in Frankfurt, Germany on January 30–February 1 about global trends and potential movement-wide responses.
- Wiki Workshop ― Wiki Workshop is the annual forum bringing together researchers exploring all aspects of Wikimedia projects. The 13th edition of Wiki Workshop is set to take place virtually on March 25-26.
- Past international and regional meetings in 2025
- Central Asian WikiCon 2025 – A regional conference dedicated to Wikimedia projects, organised by Wikimedians of the Uzbek Language User Group in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on 19–20 April 2025.
Media related to Central Asian WikiCon 2025 at Wikimedia Commons - Youth Conference 2025 – A three-day event for young Wikimedians from all over the world organized by Wikimedia Czech Republic with the support by the Wikimedia CEE Hub on 16-18 May 2025 in Prague. Media related to Wikimedia Youth Conference 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimania 2025 – The 20th Wikimedia conference hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, which was both an in-person and virtual event on August 6–9, 2025. Media related to Wikimania 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2025 – An annual conference centered on Wikimedia projects in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The 2025 meeting was organised by Wikimedia UG Greece in Thessaloniki, Greece on September 26–28, 2025. Media related to CEE Meeting 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
- WikidataCon 2025 – The main conference for all things Wikidata took place online and in-person from October 31 – November 2, 2025. Media related to WikidataCon 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
- GLAM Wiki 2025 – An international gathering for the GLAM Wiki community, held in Lisbon, Portugal, from October 30 – November 1, 2025. Media related to GLAM Wiki 2025 at Wikimedia Commons
- Wikipedia Contribution with Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences Students in Kosovo, November 2025, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group
- Wiki Science Competition in Albania and Kosovo, November 2025, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group
- Kosovo Wikivoyage Editathons in Gjakova and Krusha e Madhe, November 2025, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group
- Ukrainian educators create open lesson plans based on the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom course, November 2025, Wikimedia Ukraine
- Highly productive autumn education activities in Macedonia, November 2025, Wikimedia MKD
- Annual Czech Wiki Conference took place on Saturday, Nov 8th, November 2025, Wikimedia Czech Republic
- Edu Wiki camp 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia, November 2025, Wikimedia Serbia
- Wikivoyage editathon in Peshkopia, Albania, October 2025, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group
- Wikimedia Serbia prepares eight annual Edu Wiki camp, October 2025, Wikimedia Serbia
- Wikimedia MKD’s Education Program activities for October, October 2025, Wikimedia MKD
- New starting page for Wikipedia users had been launched in September, October 2025, Wikimedia Czech Republic
- The Ukrainian Educators’ Wikimedia Conference 2025, September 2025, Wikimedia Ukraine
- Wikimedia MKD's edit-a-thon: Lakes, September 2025, Wikimedia MKD
- Accredited seminar for teachers in Veliko Gradište, September 2025, Wikimedia Serbia
- GLAM and Education News from Wikimedia Poland, October 2025, Wikimedia Poland
- Serbia’s GLAMorous October and collaboration with the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, October 2025, Wikimedia Serbia
- GLAM news from Albania, September 2025, Wikimedians of Albanian Language User Group
- Macedonian GLAM activities report, September 2025, Wikimedia MKD
- What's up in GLAM in Poland, September 2025, Wikimedia Poland
- Welcoming the Wikimedia Foundation's New CEO
Read the official announcement introducing the new Chief Executive Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, who will step into the role in January 2026. This is a key transition for the movement's future direction!
- Read more: Welcoming the Wikimedia Foundation's New CEO
- CEE Hub — Three years of growth, learning, and regional impact
Read this article to celebrate the CEE Hub's third birthday! It highlights our key milestones, celebrates the growth, and shares how the Hub has been supporting communities throughout the Central and Eastern European region.
- The first-ever Wikimedia Youth Conference
Relive the energy and vision of young Wikimedians from around the world who gathered in Prague! This article highlights the fresh ideas, action plans, and recommendations that came out of the first-ever Wikimedia Youth Conference.
- CEE Hub Microgrants — Small funds for big potential
Join us on our Microgrant journey! This post showcases the kind of impact that small funds can achieve and builds anticipation for the upcoming Microgrant call, which is set to open in February 2026.
- The first Wikimedia research conference in Kyiv and online
More than 80 participants joined this event organized by Wikimedia Ukraine to explore Wikipedia as a rich field for research. Read how the conference connected local researchers with international trends and the volunteer editing community.
- More information: Wikimedia Ukraine hosted its first Wikimedia research conference in Kyiv and online
- Wikidata recognized as a Digital Public Good!
Explore how Wikidata has built upon Wikipedia's foundation, why it is recognized as a digital public good, and how it contributes to six of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
- Highlights from the Wikimedia Foundation’s fiscal year 2024–2025 audit report
The WMF publishes its financial statements annually as part of its commitment to transparency. If you're interested in how funds are allocated to support the mission, this report provides the context and figures.
- Tools that can make our data structures fairer and more inclusive
A recap of the "Artists on AI and Data" event, which highlighted how biased datasets influence both institutions and machine learning systems. For Wikimedians, the message is clear: our data structures matter, and we have the tools to make them more equitable.
- Read more: A recap of “Artists on AI and Data”
- Wikimedia Foundation secures crucial legal win in France
Learn about the recent positive legal outcome in France which helps protect the Wikimedia movement and its volunteers from liability for content on Wikipedia.
- International Volunteer Day — How Wikimedians turn free time into free knowledge
Let’s celebrate volunteering! This article offers a great perspective from an Open-Source Volunteer Developer on how passion and dedication are turned into invaluable contributions to free knowledge.
- [REVIEW] Affiliations Committee recommendations for the ecosystem
- The Affiliations Committee presented draft recommendations on three strategic areas that need continuous consideration to best support Wikimedia affiliates: overall affiliate model, capacity development, and conflict management.
- READ HERE
- [CALL FOR EXTENDED ABSTRACTS] Contribute to the Research Track of Wiki Workshop
- The Wiki Workshop organized by the Wikimedia Foundation’s Research team and members of the Wikimedia research community is the largest Wikimedia research event of the year which will take place virtually on March 25-26, 2026.
- You can join the Research Track contributors by sending your extended abstracts until January 23
- LEARN MORE & SUBMIT
- [SURVEY] Help shape the future topics of Russian Language Events
- The Russian Language Events initiative is a series of meetings covering topics relevant to Russian-language communities in Wikimedia CEE.
- Organizers want to hear from you: What topics are relevant to your Wikimedia work? What problems do you face? Share your needs and ideas for future meetings!
- FILL IN THE SURVEY HERE
- [CALL FOR INPUT] Co-create the Wikipedia Press Handbook
- The Wikipedia Press Handbook: A Guide for Ethical Journalism is being developed for translation and distribution across the CEE region. It aims to tackle common misconceptions about Wikipedia in newsrooms. Your insights on local media landscapes are invaluable for making this guide effective!
- REVIEW THE DOCUMENT AND CONTRIBUTE HERE
- [REGISTER] Join us at the next CEE Hub Office Hours:
- January 12, 18:00 CET - REGISTER HERE
- February 3, 18:00 CET - REGISTER HERE
- By: Lvova, Екатерина Борисова, Красный
You can find out more about the manhole cover in the illustration further in the text.
We didn't just start photographing manhole covers by accident. We developed and implemented this practice when we recognized the value of these objects as a source of documentary visualization of industrial and engineering history. This format is resistant to the limitations of panoramic photography, is easy to implement, promotes the involvement of new contributors, and expands Wikipedia's corpus of images.
There's much to like about photographing manhole covers. They are easy to photograph, as they're typically located in open areas, and shooting doesn't require any special skills or expensive equipment. Photographing manhole covers doesn't require permits, group outings, or special events as manholes can be found almost anywhere, even at slightly touched by civilization places. Images of manhole covers can be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons without restrictions, as their design is described in government regulations (for example, for the former Soviet Union, this is GOST 3634 and some technical specifications), which are not protected by copyright. The only exception is "designer" manholes (for example, with images of local landmarks).
At the same time, manhole covers bear identifying markings — year and place of manufacture, standard, technical parameters, and others. Manhole covers are often unique to a particular area, as their casting is well established even at small factories supplying local utility companies. Photographic documentation of manhole covers allows us, on the one hand, to create a visually supported map of the city's engineering and industrial history, and on the other, to obtain valuable illustrative material for articles about streets and industrial enterprises, many of which are long gone, their memory preserved only in samples of their products.
Moreover, the process of searching for rare manhole covers resembles a quest with a relatively low barrier to entry. Newcomers to the "manhole photography" can simply photograph and upload every manhole cover they encounter, learning the differences between them along the way: from the obvious (marking, year of manufacture, material, shape) to the less obvious (manufacturer's logo, standard, and strength characteristics). The results are immediately visible, especially if you start taking photos in places that haven't yet been explored by more experienced colleagues. However, this activity can also attract experienced Wikimedians — in just over a year, it has captured a significant portion of our user group and, to some extent, shaped its "style" within the Wikimedia community.
It should be noted that the user group's members had shown an interest in various industrial and architectural details long before its formation. Back in 2015, Ekaterina noticed and photographed an interesting logo on the rubber coating plate of a pedestrian crossing over railway tracks on the outskirts of Saint Petersburg. It was later discovered that this was the trademark of the Bobruisk-based company "Беларусьрезинотехника", and this image is the only photographic evidence of its existence within the Wiki.
For many years, we've been photographing flagpole holders, visors, wall anchors, levelling marks, and other metal objects we encounter in the area. These images not only help to illustrate articles about the architecture and industry of the Northwest but also contribute to a deeper understanding of the region's history. In addition, North-West Russia Wiki-Historians regularly capture old bricks, which, like manhole covers, bear maker's marks and sometimes production dates.
The "manhole story" of our user group began in June 2022. One of Wiki-Historians, who lives in Karelia, was writing an article about a local stone processing plant and, to illustrate the article, photographed some paving stones from its production, including a manhole into a frame. Since most of our community members are familiar with Wikimedia Commons and its categorization, our Karelian colleague decided that the manhole cover should also be categorized. Since he wasn't very familiar with the existing categories for manhole covers, he started asking questions in one of the user group chats, where Ekaterina mentioned the existence of "manhole maniacs" who enthusiastically take pictures of manhole covers and upload them to Wikimedia Commons. Armed with this information, our Karelian colleague began categorizing other photos of manhole covers he found on Wikimedia Commons in the Russia-related categories.
It's no secret to Wikimedians that sorting images into categories is a very addictive process (and often leads to the creation of new categories), so soon a category of Petrozavodsk manhole covers emerged. Subsequently, our colleague gradually began to notice manhole covers in various places, but without much enthusiasm. A radical change in attitude toward manhole covers occurred in April 2024 — remembering that photographs of Petrozavodsk manhole covers were often found in the most unexpected categories, our colleague began to analyze the general category "Manhole covers", also paying attention to the categorizations by manufacturer and year of production. Having become immersed in the process, he began sorting images of manhole covers by GOSTs, for which he found published Soviet and post-Soviet technical standards. Along the way, he asked in the user group chat what is the best name for a particular category, which sparked interest in the manhole covers among other members.
| “ | Honestly, I thought I'd clear out the "Manhole covers" category and forget about manholes. But it turns out I'm constantly being shown things, asked questions, and for some reason considered a manhole expert. Even though I haven't uploaded many photos of manhole covers (compared to Lvova or Wiki leylek). | ” |
| — Our Karelian colleague, who wished to remain anonymous | ||
The proud title of "local manhole maniac" had to be lived up to: when the snow melted, our colleague discovered manhole covers from four rather remote manufacturers in his own yard, made in Luhansk, Perm, Tver, and Kaluga, while foundry products from as many as 30 different manufacturers were found on his stree! Now, other members of the user group, eager to support and delight him, have begun photographing the manhole covers and uploading images to Wikimedia Commons, gradually becoming fascinated with the topic themselves. Lvova became especially fascinated. Since we travel a lot, and since 2022, the user group's geography has expanded significantly, extending far beyond our region, the Wikimedia Commons "Manhole covers" category has rapidly expanded with new images. Gradually, categories for new manufacturers and countries were discovered and created, as well as categories by manhole markings and the languages of the inscriptions. To ensure we didn't miss anything, our Karelian colleague even had to write a script that collects all the manhole photos uploaded over the past two weeks onto a separate page. And we keep him busy. Moreover, the geography of shooting is steadily expanding: we photographed manholes not only in Russia, but also in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia (which allows us to discover interesting industrial and logistical connections between the former Soviet republics, now independent countries), as well as in Turkey and Greece... And everywhere we find something unexpected and, in some cases, unique and important.
| “ | A year before, Ekaterina had asked me to photograph fountains. City services <of Saint Petersburg> are currently actively restoring both pre-revolutionary fountains and those from the 1970s, but this project was essentially active for only a year, leaving behind hard-to-reach fountains in closed areas, as well as those newly appearing near new buildings. It was assumed the same would happen with manhole covers. At one point, Elektrostal was the leader in manhole covers photography, and we hoped to outdo the local activists. Well, I learned that our colleague, for whom we began photographing all this, doesn't consider himself an expert only while preparing this article. |
” |
| — Lvova | ||
Our passion has led to many fascinating discoveries. For example, well-preserved 19th-century manhole covers have been discovered on the grounds of Saint Petersburg old hospitals and factories. Another astonishing find is several manhole covers bearing the inscription "КАНАЛNЗАЦNЯ ПЕТРОГРАДА" — that is, with the Latin letter "N" instead of Cyrillic "И" (as in the title illustration). Since the city was called Petrograd for only 10 years, from 1914 to 1924, and the date of the Russian Spelling Reform is also known, these manhole covers can be confidently dated to the early 1920s. This immediately raises the possibility of serious historical research: why was the mold for the manhole covers cast with a spelling error? Was the new spelling unfamiliar to the workers at the plant that manufactured these covers, or was it because the factory was staffed by new workers — illiterate peasants — after the Civil War? During the years of devastation and industrial crisis, was this error simply overlooked, or were there no resources to replace it? For now, these are all just our theories, but we hope to uncover the truth sooner or later.
In addition to our own research, we also share our passion with the communities we work with: for example, we've gotten several people from the Uzbek and Kazakh communities hooked on manhole photographing. We hope that this simple yet effective method for populating street categories on Wikimedia Commons will find its fans in other Wikimedia communities.
- Some of the manhole covers photographed by members of our user group
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A Saint Petersburg cover with a non-existent GOST standard listed on it -
A cover with an indication of the Gürtler system: cement-concrete pipes with a diameter of 400 mm and a length of 75 cm were laid along it — try to get through! -
A cover that allows us to speculate about the existence of a chief mechanic's department at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute (see also Complex of buildings of the Student Campus of the Polytechnic Institute) -
Manhole covers are oftenly stolen and sold for scrap metal. But near the NKVD headquarters building in Saint Petersburg, many old manhole covers have been safely preserved -
Native advertising for manufacturers on a pre-revolutionary manhole cover in Saint Petersburg -
19th-century manhole cover. When markings had not yet been invented, it was necessary to write the words "С.П.Б. ГОРОДСКАЯ КАНАЛИЗАЦIЯ" on the manholes in full -
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Manhole cover in Thessaloniki -
A manhole cover in Batumi, cast in the 1930s at a local foundry and mechanical plant -
A manhole cover with the inscription "ВОДОСТОК" in the center of Bukhara
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- By: Hynek Kaplan (WMCZ) (talk), Jan Sýkora (WMCZ) (talk)
What was it all about?
The Wikimedia Youth Conference 2025 took place on May 16–18 in Holešovice, Prague. It was a working meeting of 83 young Wikimedians from all over the world, focused on one central theme: How to attract young people to Wikipedia?
Unlike traditional conferences, the program was built on active collaboration, facilitation, participant engagement, and peer exchange. The goal was to create a space where young people not only discuss but also formulate concrete steps for their communities. The conference primarily targeted volunteers with leadership potential.
The overall process and outcomes are summarized in the official final report. A complete overview of the conference results is available on the website in the “Outcomes” section.
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- By: ElenaLitera, Красный
Pictured: The ceiling of one of the ceremonial halls of the Kokand Khan Palace, Kokand, Fergana Region, Uzbekistan. This photo is a featured picture at Wikimedia Commons.
Even after the country's first Wiki photo contest, "Wiki loves Earth," an important feature was realized: Uzbekistan has a number of professional photographers willing to contribute their work to Wikimedia Commons, but there is virtually no tradition of amateur photography. Since the number of professionals participating was small, most of the uploaded photographs had standard issues, such as incorrect exposure, tilted horizons, unsharp or blurry images, or, as in the case of the architectural photography for "Wiki Loves Monuments," the need for perspective correction.
Therefore, at the first stages of evaluating the images uploaded to each contest, images were rejected according to quality criteria. While this approach often results in the elimination of images of rare objects, it allowed us to maintain a high standard of quality, comparable to international leaders, and even achieve prizes. For example, in the 2023 WLM competition, Vladimir Goncharenko's photograph won in two international categories: "Previously Undocumented Monuments" and "Heritage of Central and Southeast Asia".
- Winners of the Uzbekistan local round in 2023
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Registan, Samarkand, Samarqand Region
author — Kraftabbas -
Square of Martyrs in Uzbekistan, Yunusabad District, Tashkent
author — Humoyun Mehridinov -
Sarmishsay rock paintings, Navbahor District, Navoiy Region
author — Relisa Granovskaya -
Mulla Ismatulloh tomb, Rishton District, Fergana Region
author — Arina Pan -
Termezi memorial complex, Termiz District, Surxondaryo Region
author — Kraftabbas -
Sacred Heart Cathedral, Yashnobod, Tashkent
author — Журавлев Андрей Анатольевич -
Al-Khakim at-Termezi mavsoleum, Sherobod District, Surxondaryo Region
author — Jonibek Qo'zimurodov -
Islam Khodja Madrasa, Khiva, Xorazm Region
author — MarjonaKhidirova -
Chapel of St. George in Tashkent, Shaykhontohur, Tashkent
author — NatalieChunina -
Kalyan Minaret, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Umid1108
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On top of all this, it was decided to hold a photo school in Tashkent, demonstrating to local Wikimedians the basics of camera handling and explaining to them in detail how to take good pictures. Along the way, the educational material on architectural photography was expanded and translated into Russian, Uzbek, and Karakalpak languages, and links to it appeared on the competition page. Although the success of this workshop was initially questionable (only a third of the participants uploaded "graduation" photos), we gradually began to see results: in the 2024 WLM competition, the number of photographs receiving Quality status increased from 67 to 165, while the overall number of uploaded images remained almost unchanged. The number of participants uploading quality photos has also expanded: in 2023, the Quality images category of "Wiki Loves Monuments in Uzbekistan" consisted primarily of photos from professionals and organizers, while in 2024, several Uzbekistan Wiki photographers from among the photography school students were included.
- Winners of the Uzbekistan local round in 2024
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Baland Mosque, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Spartak22 -
Akhadkhan yard and garden (Sitorai Mokhi-Hossa complex), Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Arina Pan -
Olimkhon palace, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Humoyun Mehridinov -
Kalyan Minaret, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Spartak22 -
Palace of Khudáyár Khán, Kokand, Fergana Region
author — Екатерина Борисова -
Hazrat-Hyzr Mosque, Samarkand, Samarqand Region
author — BeshevI -
Kok Gumbaz mosque in Shahrisabz, Shahrisabz, Qashqadaryo Region
author — Marat Nadjibaev -
Suzuk Ota Complex, Shaykhontohur, Tashkent
author — Mrshaxas -
Shukhov Tower, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Umid1108 -
Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre building, Mirobod, Tashkent
author — 26D
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We approached the 2025 competition with a team of regular participants from among active local Wikimedians. However, having exhausted their photo archives, previously participating professional photographers withdrew. For this reason, we expected a sharp decline in the number of photos and planned a Wiki tour to Khiva for those interested in participating. The result was nevertheless unexpected: the total number of photos uploaded to the contest decreased by approximately threefold (from almost 4,000 to 1,300), while the number of Quality images entered has already reached 193 and continues to grow as new worthy candidates are identified and nominated. Furthermore, while in previous years we had only one Featured picture per competition, this season its number has already reached 19, which is more than any other participating country this year.
- Winners of the Uzbekistan local round in 2025
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Andijan Jame Mosque Complex, Andijan, Andijan Region
author — Petar Milošević -
Toshhovli Palace, Khiva, Xorazm Region
author — Panpanchik -
Registan, Samarkand, Samarqand Region
author — Petar Milošević -
Subkhankulikhan Mosque, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Panpanchik -
Octogonal pavilion (Sitorai Mokhi-Khossa complex), Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Panpanchik -
Madrasa of 'Abd al-'Aziz Khan, Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — Panpanchik -
Andijan Jame Mosque Complex, Andijan, Andijan Region
author — Petar Milošević -
Toshhovli Palace, Khiva, Xorazm Region
author — Panpanchik -
Konya Ark, Khiva, Xorazm Region
author — Panpanchik -
Octogonal pavilion (Sitorai Mokhi-Khossa complex), Bukhara, Bukhara Region
author — 26D
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In conclusion, although Uzbekistan has not achieved the competition upload volumes of leading countries like Poland, Russia, or Ukraine, thanks to the simple measures we took, we were able to obtain a significant body of high-quality photographs of the country's cultural heritage. It is also nice to note that experienced photographers from European countries regularly participate in the Uzbek part of WLM: in 2024, it was Ivan Beshev (Bulgaria), in 2025 — Petar Milošević (Slovenia). Their contributions set a good example for other participants and allowed to establish interesting cross-cultural connections in Wikimedia projects.
On Sunday, November 2nd, club members embarked on a photowalk to explore and photograph historic churches in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Their walk resulted in over 150 photos of the churches to be shared on Wikimedia Commons.
The photowalk began in the morning at the Taksim Mosque, where participants gathered before following a planned route that included five churches:
- Hagia Triada Church
- Church of St. Anthony of Padua
- Church of St. Mary Draperis
- Crimea Memorial Church
- Church of SS Peter and Paul
The highlight of the photowalk came at Crimea Memorial Church, where students encountered the church choir during their rehearsal. In a spontaneous collaboration, the president of the Medipol Wiki Club—who is also a pianist—joined the choir in a performance of Erik Satie’s Gnossienne No. 1 This unique moment was captured on video, adding a beautiful soundtrack to the day’s visual storytelling.
Discover more the photos and the video from the walk on Wikimedia Commons: Churchs of Beyoğlu Photowalk, Medipol WikiClub
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Hagia Triada Church -
St. Anthony Padua Church -
St. Maria Draperis Church -
Armenian Apostolic Church dedicated to Saint John Chrysostom -
Playing Gnossienne No. 1 at Crimea Memorial Church
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- By: Красный
Pictured: The cat from Litochoro studies the following text with disbelief.
This time, the conference organizers gave us the option to reschedule our arrival date up to three days before the event and our departure date up to three days after the event. We decided to use the latter option because we weren't entirely sure of our visa requirements. Instead of three days of the main conference program and one day of classes, we spent a whole week in Central Macedonia. This allowed us to organize a small Wiki expedition without compromising our participation in the conference and significantly enrich Wikimedia Commons with photographs of Central Macedonia, including places previously illustrated only by photographs from the First World War period.
We rented a car and planned our trip; the lists compiled for the "Wiki Loves Monuments" and "Wiki Loves Earth" photo contests were a great reference point for this planning. They offered a platform for supporting the Greek part of these contests with our photos and offering a glimpse, albeit cursory, of the local cultural and natural heritage.
We started with a stroll around Thessaloniki, spending the evening of our learning day on it. The industrial area around the hotel proved to be a perfect environment for transport enthusiast Nikolay: the embankment, the port, and the old railway station with its train graveyard were all within walking distance. Having covered the basic tourist minimum of the city, we turned our attention to its surroundings.
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An old enameled iron address sign near the learning day location -
Every city has its signature landmarks; in Thessaloniki, it's the White Tower -
The Celebrity Infinity cruise ship in the port -
Part of the port has been converted into a promenade area with communications preserved, but nothing going to go on these rails anymore. -
While the transport enthusiast looks at the tracks to the left, the other Wikipedian, who is interested in slightly different objects, sees Stolpersteine to the right -
Villa Petridi near the old train station -
An armored car at the old station, which, according to a railway employee, is "used by the military" -
If you can't get to the train cemetery, that's no reason not to picture it -
Nikolay's persistence was understandable — the Type Ma steam locomotive was visible from behind the dense thickets!
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On the first day after the conference, we headed to the Volvi and Koroneia lakes, protected natural monuments. Belarusian Wikipedian Vitaliy Zdanevich joined us that day. In addition to the lakes, we also visited several villages along the way in the Volvi, Langadas, and Pylaia-Chortiatis communities, taking numerous pictures of the local streets, transport, flora, and fauna.
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A trash can bearing the name of the abolished Egnatian community to which Scholari once belonged -
An unusual way for us to organize the electrical network in Lagkadikia -
Deutz F4 tractor in Stivos -
A looted payphone at a sanatorium on Lake Volvi -
An abandoned street elevator at the sanatorium on Lake Volvi -
Cultivated alongside Wolvi Platycladus orientalis, which grows naturally in China -
Fire hydrant in Asvestochori
The second day was entirely dedicated to the Olympus. On this day, we were joined by Marcin Cieślak. In addition to the legendary mountain and the town of Litochoro lying at its foot, we also visited the town of Katerini. Since many of the photos taken that day have been postponed until the next "Wiki Loves Earth" contest in Greece, this section doesn't include many illustrations.
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Street in Katerini -
Fiat Someca tractor in the visit centre on Mount Olympus -
Litochoro view -
View from Litochoro
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We decided to leave the third day without plans and literally went "wherever our eyes led." And we did not lose, visiting several places south of Thessaloniki, including the town of Michaniona, where we managed to photograph the port and have lunch at a port tavern.
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The town of Angelochori told about itself with such details -
A Canadair Sabre attack aircraft on the roof of a gas station -
A fishing vessel in the port of Mihaniona -
A crow checks a fishing net for the catch -
Church in Michaniona
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The results of the trip clearly demonstrate how convenient it is to extend your stay: there's time for fieldwork, not just behind-the-scenes work. We hope that at the upcoming Wiki conference in Cluj-Napoca we'll be able to attract more participants to this activity. Currently, 533 photographs have been uploaded to our expedition category, of which, at the time of writing, almost 100 have been rated as Quality images.
The inaugural Persian-Uzbek Wiki Collaboration has wrapped up with remarkable results. Co-organized by members of the Iranian Wikimedians User Group and the Wikimedians of the Uzbek Language User Group, the two-week event ran during the second half of November 2025 to align with Wikipedia Asian Month 2025. It represents the first collaboration of its kind in the region and sets a precedent for future initiatives.
In just fourteen days, participants created more than 600 new articles across the two Wikipedias. The idea for the edit-a-thon first emerged during conversations at Wikimania 2025 and took shape through the Central Asia Collaboration, an initiative designed to bring together Wikimedia communities and affiliates across the broader Central Asian region. The initiative aims to foster cooperation, share experience, and help local communities grow according to their own priorities.
During the Persian-Uzbek Wiki Collaboration, contributors to Persian Wikipedia focused on topics related to Uzbekistan and Uzbeks, while contributors to Uzbek Wikipedia wrote about Iran and Persians. More than 500 new articles were created in Persian, with over 100 written in Uzbek. The range of subjects was broad, spanning history, culture, and notable individuals from both countries.
The organizers thank everyone who took part. This successful first edition demonstrates the strength of cross-community collaboration, and we hope it will be the beginning of many more joint efforts in the years ahead.
- By: OlesiaLukaniuk (WMUA) (talk) Olesia Lukaniuk
One of the biggest photo contests, devoted to picturing nature heritage sites, Wiki Loves Earth aims not only to showcase the beauty of protected areas worldwide, but also to raise awareness about important environmental issues.
Wiki Loves Earth in Ukraine, for the second time, continued its special category called "Nature Loss", which focuses on documenting damage to protected natural areas of Ukraine — whether caused by war, human activity, or natural disasters. The goal is straightforward: show real evidence of environmental destruction that often stays unnoticed — and make it part of the public record. The full-scale Russian invasion in 2022 became an additional impetus for creating this category and encouraging participants to document, share, and protect.
A dedicated jury panel reviewed the shortlisted entries, selecting the images that most clearly and powerfully revealed the impact of human actions or war on Ukraine’s nature. And we are ready to present the winning images in 2025, as well as to highlight the previous year's winning entries.
- 1st place — Damage caused by fortification works (Baybachyi Zoological Reserve, Sumy region).
- 2nd place — Aftermath of a landscape fire (Lysa Hora tract near “Zhovtneva Dacha,” Poltava region).
- 3rd place — Ecological disruption from wind power installation (Azov-Syvash National Nature Park).
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Damage caused by fortification works. Photographer: Pidup -
Aftermath of a landscape fire. Photographer: Berser25 -
Ecological disruption from wind power installation. Photographer: Oleksandr Ryzhkov
In 2024, attention in the Nature Loss category was focused on striking photos that document human impact on Ukraine’s natural sites, from fires and abandoned equipment to remnants of fortifications and quarrying:
- Fire in the Stentsiv–Zhebryaniv wetlands, a striking illustration of human-caused damage in the Danube Biosphere Reserve.
- Equipment Dump, Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve.
- Ammunition from the training ground in the Karachunivka gully, Sloviansk district.
- Zmiinyi Yar. 2014 trenches, depicts remnants of 2014-era fortifications on the slopes of Zmiinyi Yar in the Bakhmut district.
- Quarry development on Kaliusetska Hill, taken near the village of Kalyusyk, shows ongoing quarrying. A vivid example of destructive human impact on a natural landmark.
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Quarry development on Kaliusetska Hill. Photographer: Aleksandr Zakharov -
Ammunition from the training ground in the Karachunivka gully. Photographer: Aleksandr Zakharov -
Fire in the Stentsiv–Zhebryaniv wetlands. Photographer: Maxym Yakovlev -
Equipment Dump, Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve. Photographer: Oleksandr Malyon
Check out all the illustrations on the head image!
- Why does it matter?
The “Nature Loss” category creates an important visual archive of the environmental consequences of war, negligence, and unsustainable actions. These images help to draw public attention to unseen or overlooked ecological damage, to support advocacy efforts to protect vulnerable landscapes, and to document environmental loss for future restoration and accountability. And this is our way to highlight some of the consequences of the war that is still happening.
Even in challenging times, documenting nature’s fragility helps shape a more responsible future and brings attention to how human activities can sometimes negatively impact the environment. What are your nature stories waiting to be told?
🏆Also, check the Wiki Loves Earth in Ukraine winning images for 2025.
- By: Shahen from the Wikimedians of Western Armenian Language User Group
The impact exceeded all expectations. Over the course of the edit-a-thon, our community created more than 300 new articles and improved nearly 20 others — far beyond our initial targets. These articles focused on essential, high-value topics needed to solidify the encyclopedia’s core knowledge base. Around 15 active editors participated consistently, supported by a structured system of recognition and small awards that motivated participation without overshadowing the collaborative, language-preserving spirit of the event.
Given the success of Part One, we applied for a continuation — and we’re happy to share that Filling the Gaps – Part Two has now been approved. With renewed energy and experience, we are already in the implementation phase, using the same momentum to further enrich Western Armenian Wikipedia with essential, high-quality content.
We extend our warm thanks to the CEE Hub for believing in our work and supporting a project that has had real impact on the vitality of Western Armenian online knowledge. We look forward to sharing more results as Part Two progresses.
- By: AntonProtsiuk (WMUA) (talk)
The conference’s goal was to bring together Wikimedia researchers from Ukraine, introduce them to international Wikimedia research, and also bring them in the same room – both physically and metaphorically – with the volunteer Wikimedia community.
The conference gathered 43 people in-person and close to 40 online. The program was packed – 30 presentations of research on Wikipedia and related subjects in one day.
Topics ranged from the gender gap on Ukrainian Wikipedia to the usage of AI to fight vandalism, from the research on Crimean Tatar Wikipedia to analysis of information narratives about Wikipedia on social media.
A large segment of sessions was dedicated to researchers analyzing the coverage of their topical areas or even specific topics on Wikipedia, such as music, math, and pedagogy.
We also had a wide diversity of participants, from established researchers leading departments at some of the biggest universities in Ukraine, to PhD students, to Wikipedians who don’t conduct research themselves but can provide a valuable volunteer perspective.
Most presentations were in Ukrainian, but we had four sessions in English from international speakers, including a presentation from the Wikimedia Foundation’s research team.
Ukraine continues to battle Russia’s full-scale invasion, and the war has informed all aspects of the conference – from topics the speakers studied to the fact that the organizing team had to ensure the offline venue had reliable power generators as Ukraine’s energy infrastructure continues to suffer from regular Russian strikes.
We’ll publish full conference proceedings in early 2026. In the meantime, the conference was livestreamed on YouTube, and the full recording is already available. (You can also see the full program: Ukrainian original & its machine-translated English version).
As part of the larger project, we’re also building out a network of Wikimedia researchers through regular online events and other activities. The project is organized by Wikimedia Ukraine thanks to grant support from the Wikimedia Foundation through the Wikimedia Research Fund. We held the conference in partnership with two Ukrainian universities, Kyiv Aviation Institute and Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics.
- Conference group photos
- By: MagdaBarascu (talk)
Moldova’s Results at a Glance
- 8048 images of monuments uploaded from across the country
- 927 images already integrated into Wikipedia articles
- 28 participants contributing to the contest
These numbers are more than statistics—they reflect the dedication of Moldova’s photographers, volunteers, and Wikimedians who have worked tirelessly to showcase the nation’s cultural treasures. Moldova’s performance even surpassed countries with long-standing traditions in photography and heritage documentation, proving the strength of its passionate and active community.
Celebrating the Winners
The national contest brought forward stunning contributions that highlight Moldova’s diverse heritage:
1st Place – VadimS
His winning photo captures the solemn interior of the “St. Dumitru” Church in Soroca. The image conveys both the beauty and spiritual depth of this historic monument, reminding us of the importance of protecting Moldova’s sacred spaces.
2nd Place – Nica9998
The runner-up entry showcases the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” Monastery in Curchi, one of Moldova’s most significant architectural and spiritual landmarks. The photo highlights the harmony of the monastic ensemble and underscores the responsibility to safeguard cultural heritage for future generations.
3rd Place – Nicolai Chirnev His photograph of a traditional windmill in Beşalma celebrates rural ingenuity and the living connection between heritage and landscape. The image reflects both architectural beauty and the enduring traditions of Southern Moldova.
A Community Effort
This success is the result of collective passion and commitment. Every photographer, volunteer, and Wikimedian who contributed has helped put Moldova firmly on the international map of digital heritage. Their work ensures that Moldova’s monuments are not only preserved but also shared with the world through open knowledge platforms.
Looking Ahead
Moldova’s achievement in Wiki Loves Monuments 2025 is more than a contest result—it is a testament to the country’s growing role in the global movement to protect and promote cultural heritage. With thousands of images now freely available, Moldova’s monuments will inspire researchers, educators, and heritage enthusiasts worldwide.
- By: MagdaBarascu (talk)
Community at Work
27 dedicated editors joined forces, and together, they made 350 contributions, shaping and refining knowledge about European and national legislation, famous cases in the European courts of law and practical legal terms. 149 pages were created or significantly developed—a total of 635,492 bytes of content enriched Wikipedia, demonstrating the power of collective effort. Wikimedians of Romania and Moldova partnered with two big libraries, Vasile Voiculescu" County Library Buzău and Bucharest Metropolitan Library and together they organised editing workshops that brought together wikimedians in love with Wikipedia.
Recognising Excellence
The campaign highlighted not only the quantity but also the quality of contributions. These achievements showcase how individual dedication strengthens the collective mission of Wikipedia.
Call to Action
The campaign organisers invite bona fide editors to continue improving articles. By adding structure, references, and careful review, the community can ensure that these topics receive the quality treatment they deserve. WikiLex 2025 has proven that Wikipedia’s rules are not obstacles but enablers. They safeguard accuracy, encourage collaboration, and ultimately empower editors to build a reliable knowledge base.
- By: Nal Mencin
If someone had told me a few months ago that I'd be running a WikiClub at my University, I would've laughed. But then Thessaloniki happened.
I went to my first Wikimedia CEE Meeting, and believe it or not, my first in-person Wikipedia Meeting ever, with zero expectations, just with curiosity, and love for editing Wikipedia. What I didn't expect was how inspiring the other Wikipedians would be, especially the CEE Youth Group. Here, I have to sincerely thank Aiana, Caner, Nikos and Nursultan for their ideas, help and support. Without them, none of this would have ever happened. Listening to them talk about their local clubs, meetups, and community projects, something clicked in my head: „Why don't we have this in Slovenia? Why not at my University? Why not now?”
On the flight back to Ljubljana, the idea wouldn't leave me alone. A week later, it wasn't just an idea anymore.
The Faculty Said Yes — Really Quickly
One of the biggest surprises was how supportive the Faculty of Arts (our headquarters) was. I expected weeks of emails and bureaucracy. Instead, they said yes almost immediately and offered a room for regular meetings. Literally, I wrote an email on a Wednesday afternoon, and the next morning, the Club was approved.
Suddenly, everything became real.
Our First Meeting — 24 October
Walking into Room 309 before the first meeting, I had no idea what to expect. Maybe two people would show up. Maybe nobody.
Instead, ten people walked in, sat down, and genuinely wanted to learn how Wikipedia works. Some were nervous, some curious, some already editing from home. We went through the basics, answered questions, looked up articles together… it felt amazing. It felt like the beginning of something.
By the end, people stayed longer just to talk. That’s when I knew this thing had potential.
WikiClub mentioned in Slovene Media
Shortly after our first meeting, I received an unexpected email: a big local newspaper contacted me, saying they wanted to write and publish an article about our activities. So, during our second meeting, the journalist visited us on-site, interviewed members, and documented the workshop. And so this article was created.
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Three Meetings Later…
Two months passed very quickly.
We've already had three meetings, and each time the atmosphere gets friendlier and more relaxed. People help each other with edits, send links, ask questions, and share small victories ("I created my first article!").
We also opened a small Discord server for easier coordination between members.
We Even Made an Instagram Page
Yep, I created a Slovene Wikipedia Instagram account just for promoting the WikiClub.
Didn’t think it would work.
But it did.
Students actually discovered us through it, messaged us, and asked when the next meeting was. It helped us more than I expected. Now the page is slowly becoming the "official" Instagram account of the Slovenian Wikipedia.
What Comes Next
A big collaboration with Wikimedia Italia
At the end of December, we're doing a joint edit-a-thon with the Italian community, focusing on Gorizia–Nova Gorica, the European Capitals of Culture 2025. This will be our first international event — and for many members, their first cross-border Wikipedia project ever.
A photography group
Some people asked if we could start a photography subgroup—basically a small Wiki Loves Monuments spirit within the club. Of course I said… why not? I love the idea of going around Ljubljana or around Slovenia, taking pictures, and adding them to Commons.
And more
We are in active talks with other communities from the CEECA region as well. So, for the next year, a collaboration with WM MKD is already being discussed.
Looking Back — and Looking Forward
When I think about it, the club started because of one moment of inspiration in Thessaloniki. But what's keeping it alive now are the people here—students who show up after long days, who ask curious questions, who get excited when they publish their first article, who bring friends along, who go and drink a beer with us afterwards ;).
It's still small. It's still very new.
But it already feels like a little community I'm very proud of.
We're just getting started.
- By: Velkovski.b (talk)
Among the highlights were the participation in the “Manaki Brothers” International Film Festival within the international Wiki Loves Film campaign, the signing of a Memorandum for collaboration with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje, and the launch of the new Wikipractice project for university students. Wikimedia MKD also organized multiple educational workshops and edit-a-thons for high school and primary school students, promoting digital literacy, critical thinking, and volunteerism. In addition, the Wiki Team Building 2025 event strengthened the sense of community among active editors, while the Kozjachija and Sredorek Wikiexpedition enriched Wikimedia Commons with valuable visual documentation of Macedonia’s cultural and natural heritage.
Through these initiatives, Wikimedia MKD continued to expand the availability of free and reliable information in the Macedonian language and to foster partnerships that connect education, culture, and technology. The activities realized during this period reflect the organization’s dedication to building an inclusive, open, and informed society based on the principles of free access to knowledge.
Wiki Wiki Loves Film – Collaboration with "Manaki brothers" Film Festival
As part of the GLAM program of Wikimedia MKD, and within the framework of the international Wiki Loves Film initiative, Orce Nineski, Coordinator for Cooperation with Cultural Institutions, participated in the “Manaki Brothers” International Film Festival, held in Bitola from September 20 to 26, 2025.
The purpose of this activity was to document one of the most important cultural events in Macedonia and to contribute to the Wikimedia projects with freely licensed visual content related to film and cinematography. The "Manaki Brothers" festival, as the oldest and most renowned film festival in the country, attracts filmmakers, artists, and media from across the region and beyond.
Throughout the festival, Mr. Nineski photographed various aspects of the event, including:
- Opening and closing ceremonies
- Red carpet arrivals
- Special guests and award winners
- Screenings, public programs, and cultural performances
A total of 242 photographs were taken and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under a free license, making them available for use across Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia platforms, as well as for the general public. These images enrich the documentation of the event and increase the visibility of Macedonian film culture within the global Wikimedia system.
This activity supports the goals of both the GLAM program and the Wiki Loves Film initiative by promoting open access to cultural heritage and strengthening collaboration between Wikimedia communities and cultural institutions in the field of cinema and the arts.
Memorandum for collaboration with the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje
On October 7, Wikimedia MKD and the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje formally signed a Memorandum for collaboration, establishing a strategic partnership aimed at fostering the development of education, scientific research, and the promotion of free and open access to knowledge.
This agreement outlines a framework for long-term collaboration, where both institutions will work closely to integrate digital tools, open educational resources, and innovative approaches within the academic environment. The partnership is founded on a shared commitment to enhance the quality, accessibility, and reliability of educational content available to students, researchers, and the wider public.
The signing ceremony was attended by representatives from both organizations. Wikimedia MKD was represented by Executive Director Snežana Štrkovska, Coordinator for Cooperation with Cultural Institutions Orce Nineski, and Educational Program Manager Bosa Filipović. From the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dean Prof. Dr. Davorin Trpeski highlighted the significance of this collaboration as a vital opportunity to bridge the academic community with the global open knowledge movement. He emphasized the potential for this partnership to stimulate research and educational activities grounded in openness, transparency, and accessibility.
The Memorandum for collaboration paves the way for future joint initiatives, including the development of educational programs, digital projects, and research collaborations. Both parties expressed optimism that these efforts will contribute positively not only to the academic community and students but also to society at large by fostering a culture of open and shared knowledge.
This partnership reflects the mutual values and vision of Wikimedia MKD and the Faculty, aiming to support an inclusive learning environment where knowledge is freely accessible and collaboratively developed.
Training workshop for volunteering students from "Gymnasium Josip Broz Tito"-Skopje
Wikimedia MKD on October 9, 2025 held an training workshop on editing Wikipedia with students from Gymnasium "Josip Broz Tito" - Skopje. The training was held in the premises of Wikimedia MKD with students from this group at the gymnasium, during which eight of them were introduced to the content for editing Wikipedia in the Macedonian language.
The students created articles about the ongoing edit a thon for high school students on the topic "Rivers and Lakes", which aims to prepare young people to write and develop towards enriching free knowledge related to the natural wealth of Macedonia and beyond. The students who participated in the training began by creating articles related to rivers and lakes, following Wikipedia's rules and guidelines for using verifiable sources, encyclopedic writing style and licensing.
The training included several parts: introduction to the mission of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia movement, technical aspects of editing articles, use of references and media materials, as well as ethical aspects of editing. The students showed great interest, curiosity and actively participated with their own questions and ideas.
The goal of this competition, and of the training itself, is not only to create new quality content on Wikipedia, but also to encourage young people to become volunteers as creators of knowledge, and not just its consumers. Editing Wikipedia is a great opportunity to serve as volunteer, and to develop digital and research skills, critical thinking, as well as raise awareness of the importance of free access to information.
A total of 7 articles were written. Wikimedia MKD will continue with such activities in the future, with the full involvement of students and teachers in Wikimedia educational projects, and thus contributing to free and accessible knowledge for all.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Training workshop for students from International school "Nova"
On October 14, 2025, a training session on editing Wikipedia was held with a group of students from the Nova International School. Five students participated in the training, who were introduced to the basics of Wikipedia: how this platform works, what the editing rules are, how to write neutral and well-supported articles, and how to use reliable sources. During the training, the students actively participated by asking questions, discussing ideas, and selecting topics for their first articles. They wrote on the topic “Rivers and Lakes”, which is the theme of the ongoing edit a thon for high school students. Through this topic, the students had the opportunity to explore natural resources, geographical features, and the importance of waterways — both in Macedonia and in a broader regional and global context.
As a result of the training, 5 new articles were created on Wikipedia in the Macedonian language. The students showed interest and dedication to the work, and some of them expressed a desire to continue editing and get involved in future projects.
This activity is just another step in our mission to encourage young people to become active creators of knowledge, not just its users. We believe that with each new training we expand the circle of young enthusiasts who will contribute to building quality and accessible encyclopedic content in the Macedonian language.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Wiki Team building 2025
During the period from January 17 to 19, 2025, the Wiki Team Building – a three-day event organized by the Wikimedia MKD association – was held at the “Romantik” Hotel in Veles. The goal of the event was to strengthen the sense of community among active editors of the Macedonian-language Wikipedia and to encourage discussions about the development and improvement of Wikimedia projects.
The event brought together active community members from various parts of Macedonia who, through lectures, discussions, and informal meetups, exchanged experiences, ideas, and proposals for improving the quality and accessibility of content on the Macedonian Wikipedia.
As part of the program, several important presentations and talks were held.
Snezana Shtrkovska, Executive Director of Wikimedia MKD, presented tools that can facilitate the process of editing and uploading content to Wikipedia. She shared updates from the Wikimedia world and offered practical tips for efficient and high-quality editing, especially aimed at new editors.
Nikolche Stojanovski, President of Wikimedia MKD, spoke about the Wikisource project – a sister project of Wikipedia and one of many run by the Wikimedia Foundation. He highlighted the importance of digitizing public documents, books, and archival materials and encouraged attendees to get involved in developing the Macedonian version of Wikisource.
Kiril Simeonovski, member of the Executive Board of Wikimedia MKD and Toni Ristovski, gave a joint presentation on Wikidata, where they explained in detail the significance of structured data, its role in the functioning of Wikimedia projects, and the possibilities for integrating Wikidata with the Macedonian-language Wikipedia. Their presentation sparked an engaging discussion on the automation of certain processes, data linking, and the importance of accuracy and verifiability of information.
In addition to the formal program, participants had the opportunity to connect, discuss, and share ideas in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. These informal moments contributed to strengthening the community and creating new initiatives for future collaborations.
The Wiki Team Building represents a significant step in building a strong and productive community around the Macedonian Wikipedia. Through such events, a foundation is created for the sustainable development of Wikimedia projects in Macedonia, fostering a culture of collaborative learning, volunteerism, and free knowledge sharing.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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The particaptns -
Snezana Strkovska and Nikolce Stojanoski giving a lecture -
Toni Ristovski and Kire Simeonovski giving a lecture -
The participants -
Snezana Strkovska giving a lecture -
The participants -
The participants
"Rivers and lakes in Slovenia" Workshop
Within the framework of the educational program of Wikimedia MKD, a thematic workshop entitled "Rivers and Lakes in Slovenia" was held on October 24, 2025. The event was held at the premises of Wikimedia MKD at the Youth Cultural Center (MCC) - Skopje, organized by Wikimedia MKD and the Slovenian Center - Skopje, and in cooperation with the Wiki Club at SEPUGS "Vasil Antevski - Dren" - Skopje.
At the beginning of the event, Sašo Stojkovski from the Slovenian Center - Skopje, Snezana Štrkovska, Executive Director of Wikimedia MKD, and the school principal Aleksandar Kanurkov had their speeches. In their speeches, they emphasized that mutual cooperation between educational institutions and organizations is a significant step towards encouraging young people to learn and contribute to the common good.
The workshop was part of the continuous activities to encourage young people to contribute to free knowledge through Wikipedia. The participants worked on articles dedicated to the rivers and lakes of the Republic of Slovenia — a topic that is naturally related to the ongoing editorial competition for high school students on the topic "Rivers and Lakes", which aims to enrich the content of Wikipedia in the Macedonian language with texts related to natural waters in the country and beyond. The work took place in a pleasant and productive atmosphere. A total of 8 students participated and 34 articles were written.
The event represents another successful example of cooperation between educational institutions and Wikimedia MKD, the aim of which is to encourage young people to contribute to free knowledge, develop critical thinking and become familiar with the importance of open and accessible information for all.
With this workshop, Wikimedia MKD continue its mission to promote cultural and natural diversity through digital tools and educational activities, which connect the community of young editors with topics of regional and international importance.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Saso Stojkovski, Snezana Strkovska and Aleksandar Kanurkov -
Editing on Wikipedia
Wikipractice for students from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics on editing Wikipedia
On October 31, at the premises of Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje, a training workshop on editing articles on Wikipedia in Macedonian language was held. This was the start of our new EDU project, named Wikipractice, and results till the end of the year could be followed on the dashboard. The Wikipractice workshop was organized for students from the faculty and it is a result of the cooperation between Wikimedia MKD and PMF, which officially began with the signing of a Memorandum for Cooperation on 7 October 2025.
This training represents the first concrete step towards the realization of the common goal – encouraging young academic citizens to contribute to the enrichment of free knowledge in the Macedonian language. By participating in this project, students have the opportunity to realize their professional practice in a creative and socially useful way, by writing, editing articles on Wikipedia.
The training was conducted by Bosa Filipović, Wikimedia MKD Education Program Manager, and Jovan Tasevski, Wikimedia MKD Community Manager, who introduced the students to the basic principles of Wikipedia, its structure, the rules for editing and source verification, as well as the technical aspects of content creation. The attendees also had the opportunity to practically get acquainted with the process of writing and publishing new articles.
The event was attended by 6 students, who during the training created a total of 9 articles on topics related to their study directions and interests. With this, they took their first step towards becoming active contributors to Wikipedia in Macedonian and in the free knowledge community.
This activity is just the beginning of the continuous cooperation between Wikimedia MKD and the Faculty of Natural Sciences, which aims to encourage students and the academic community to become part of the global movement for free access to information. Additional training and activities are planned in the upcoming period that will deepen this fruitful cooperation.
With initiatives like these, Wikimedia MKD continues to build its network of partners in the education sector and create opportunities for young people to actively contribute to the development of free knowledge in our country.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Bosa Filipovic giving a lecture -
Bosa Filipovic giving a lecture -
The students editing on Wikipedia -
The students editing on Wikipedia
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Edit a thon "Rivers and lakes" results
The edit a thon on the topic "Rivers and Lakes" began on October 6, 2025 and ended on October 26, 2025. This contest aimed to help improve existing and create new articles on the topic "rivers and lakes". Only high school students had the right to participate in the contest. 28 high school students participated in the contest and a total of 112 articles were created.
All articles had to be created in accordance with the principles and rules of Wikipedia, so all articles had to contain sources and employ an encyclopedic style. The articles were reviewed by a jury, which consisted of three Wikipedians. The jury made the final decision on the winners. The jury members reviewed all the articles and scored each one individually with points from 1 to 10. The three winners of the competition are as follows:
- First place: Горазд Војнески with 315 points,
- Second place: Ritxyql with 182 points,
- Third place: Doni12345 with 132 points.
In addition to these prizes, there were also prizes for the best articles for each week individually. The winners of these awards are the following:
- First week best article: Doni12345 with the article "Kamel"
- Second week best article: Doni12345 with the article "Ejvon"
- Third week best article: Doni12345 with the article "Sarasvati"
With this edit a thon, Wikimedia MKD once again confirmed the importance of cooperation between education and digital knowledge. Through such activities, young people become part of the global Wikipedia community and contribute to the development of free knowledge in the Macedonian language. The "Rivers and Lakes" competition showed that enthusiasm, curiosity and the desire to learn can create valuable content that will serve future generations.
"Lakes in North America" workshop
As part of the Wikimedia MKD's education program, on November 4, 2025, a workshop on the topic "Lakes in North America" was held with students from the "Kole Nehtenin" High School in Shtip. At the beginning, Bosa Filipović, the educational program manager, spoke and introduced the participants to the encyclopedia itself, how Wikipedia works, what are the benefits of using Wikipedia as a teaching tool and how to properly use Wikipedia as an information source for accurate and verified information.
Then, under the guidance of the coordinator of the Wiki Club in Shtip, Professor Liljana Manova, and with the support of the Wikimedia MKD team, the students began to write articles. The goal of the workshop was to stimulate interest among young people in the world's natural resources, by writing about lakes as important natural ecosystems. The workshop took place in a pleasant and working atmosphere, where the students showed great interest in the topic and actively participated in all parts of the activity.
The workshop was attended by 15 students who learned how to structure an article in an encyclopedic manner and as a result of this activity was the creation of 27 new articles, which contributed to increasing the availability of information about natural resources in the world. The workshop was an opportunity for students to connect their knowledge of geography with practical application in a digital context, but also to develop critical thinking, teamwork and digital culture.
With such activities, Wikimedia MKD continues to build its network of active wiki clubs and support youth participation in the creation of free and open knowledge. The workshop in Shtip once again showed that young people have enormous potential to contribute and enrich the Macedonian language Wikipedia with quality and useful content.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Bosa Filipovic giving a lecture -
Editing on Wikipedia -
The students listening a lecture -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia
Training workshop for students from "Saint Cyril and Metodij" primary school in Veles
On November 4, 2025, a Wikipedia editing training session was organized for students from the Primary School "St. Cyril and Methodius" in Veles. The activity aimed to introduce students to the principles of free knowledge sharing, the importance of reliable sources, and the process of contributing to Wikipedia as one of the world’s largest collaborative platforms.
A total of 17 students from the upper grades participated in the workshop. Through practical exercises, they learned how to create and edit articles, add references, and follow Wikipedia’s content and formatting guidelines. The students demonstrated great enthusiasm and engagement throughout the session.
As a result of the training, 17 new articles were created on the Macedonian-language Wikipedia. The topics covered various fields, including culture, geography, history, and notable figures, reflecting the students’ interests and their communities.
The activity contributed to improving students’ digital literacy, research skills, and understanding of open knowledge. It also encouraged teamwork and critical thinking, as participants collaborated to verify information and ensure accuracy in their writing.
The workshop was successfully completed, achieving its main goals: empowering young students to become active contributors to Wikipedia and promoting the values of free and accessible knowledge for all.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Editing on Wikipedia -
The students -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia
Teachers conference at "Naum Ohridski" primary school in Creshevo, Skopje
On November 5, 2025, Wikimedia MKD organized a teachers’ conference at “Naum Ohridski” Primary School in Creshevo, Skopje, as part of its ongoing educational activities. The aim of the event was to present practical ways of integrating Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects into the teaching process, thereby enhancing students’ digital literacy, critical thinking, and collaborative skills. A total of 20 teachers from the school participated in the event.
The main presentation was delivered by Bosa Filipović, Wikimedia MKD’s Education Program Manager. She introduced the participants to Wikimedia’s mission and vision and explained the structure, principles, and functioning of Wikipedia as a global platform for open knowledge. Filipović demonstrated how teachers can use Wikipedia both as a learning resource and as a tool for developing students’ abilities in research, source evaluation, and responsible online collaboration.
Special attention was given to the importance of verifying sources and identifying reliable information. Filipović also discussed frequent mistakes made by new editors and offered practical advice for improving article quality and accuracy. The teachers expressed great interest in the editing process and in exploring how Wikipedia-based assignments can be integrated into their subjects.
The event concluded with an open discussion where participants shared their experiences, ideas, and potential classroom applications. The conversation highlighted numerous opportunities for using Wikimedia projects to support analytical and critical thinking, as well as to strengthen media and digital literacy among students.
This conference was part of Wikimedia MKD’s broader initiative to promote open and free access to knowledge as a key educational value. The event reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to empowering educators and students to become active contributors to the global community of knowledge sharing.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Bosa Filipovic giving a lecture -
The teachers listening a lecture -
The teachers listening a lecture -
The teachers listening a lecture -
Bosa Filipovic giving a lecture
Training workshop for students from "St. Kliment Ohridski" primary school in Drachevo, Skopje
On November 6, 2025, a Wikipedia editing training session was held with students from St. Clement of Ohrid Primary School in Dračevo, Skopje. The training was organized as part of the activities of the school’s Wiki Club, under the mentorship of the club coordinator, Nataša Stardelova, and with the support of the Wikimedia MKD team.
During the training, students from grades 7 to 9 learned the basics of editing and contributing to Wikipedia in Macedonian. As a result, they created 11 new articles on the topic “Children’s Books and Authors”, enriching the Macedonian Wikipedia with new and original content on subjects that previously had no coverage in the local language.
The Wiki Club welcomed 9 new members, who joined the community of young editors motivated to contribute to free knowledge. This activity was also part of the school’s celebration of the Month of the Book, promoting literacy, creativity, and digital skills through Wikipedia.
The training was held by Bosa Filipović and Jovan Tasevski from Wikimedia MKD, while the coordination and mentorship were provided by Nataša Stardelova, the school librarian and Wiki Club coordinator. The outcomes included the creation of new content on Macedonian Wikipedia, increased student engagement in digital literacy, and strengthened collaboration between Wikimedia MKD and educational institutions.
You can see how it went through the photographic material uploaded on Commons, but also some of the photos are bellow:
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Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
Editing on Wikipedia -
The club coordinator Natasha Stardelova with the students
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Kozjachija and Sredorek Wikiexpedition
In October, our team of Wikipedians realized its fourth field expedition for 2025, this time located in the regions of Kozjachija and Sredorek in the Municipality of Staro Nagoričane. Due to the region’s proximity to Skopje, the team decided to organize the expedition as two one-day visits — on October 11 and 23 — taking advantage of the national holidays. The goal was to document villages that had not been covered in previous expeditions and to expand data on the cultural heritage, infrastructure, and natural features of the area.
The first day began with visits to the villages around Kokino. Although the weather was unfavorable and rainy, the team managed to complete most of the planned route. The first sites documented were of Dragomance, Čelopek, and Staro Nagoričane, where drone photographs of the area were taken. This was followed by a visit to Dobrača, home to the church of “St. Trinity,” known for its decorated façade. The team continued to Žegljane, Malotino, Kokino, and Ramno, where several old school buildings, WWII memorials, and ruined churches were documented — among them the collapsed church of “St. Nicholas.” During the day, footage was also taken of the villages Cvetišnica, Bukovljane, and M’glence, though some of the material was limited due to low clouds and rainfall.
In the closing part of the first part, the villages of Čelopek, Koince, Algunja, Vragoturce, and Pelince were visited. Several religious sites were recorded, including the churches of “St. George,” “St. Petka,” and “St. Sunday.” The day ended in Kumanovo, where the team wrapped up a successful holiday expedition.
The second part of the expedition, continued on 23 October, focused on the villages along the A2 national road and the eastern part of the municipality. Despite the changeable weather, the team managed to complete full field documentation. The visit began with the villages of Vojnik and Strezovce, where drone photographs were taken and the “Hollow Stone of King Marko” was identified. This was followed by visits to Oblavce and Rugjince, where several public buildings were recorded, including schools and churches. While filming in Rugjince, a minor incident occurred involving damage to a drone propeller, but activities continued without interruption.
In the village of Orah, WWII memorials and the unique church of “St. Nicholas and St. George” were documented. The church, which has two entrances and is dedicated to both saints, is a protected cultural heritage site of Macedonia. The team also visited the Karpinski Monastery, where a short break was made and friendly contact established with local residents. In the final stage, the villages of Makreš, Kanarevo, Cvilanče, and Bajlovce were visited. In Bajlovce, several notable sites were registered, including the church of “St. Demetrius” and the unusual religious complex “St. Trinity,” known for local legends about healing stones and curative water.
With a total of 16 newly photographed villages, 6 revisited settlements, and over 400 kilometers traveled, the team completed an excellent Wiki expedition.
You can view all the photographic material from the Wikiexpedition here, but there are some pictures bellow:
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A bifora with a decorated aedicule above the main entrance of Holy Trinity Church in the village of Dobrača -
The western side of St. George and St. Nicholas Churches in the village of Orah -
The archaeological site of Visoko near the village of Bajlovce -
The portico of Hristijan Todorovski Karpoš Primary School in the village of Čelopek -
A dirt road to the village of Cvilance
- By: Miss Kamola (talk)
Since many of the attendees were new to Wikipedia, the workshop focused on introducing the fundamentals of the platform, like what Wikipedia truly is, how articles are created, and how to edit existing content. Participants received practical guidance on drafting their first articles, with active users recommending the use of personal sandbox pages to safely practice before publishing. In addition, the newcomers learned how to upload images to Wikimedia Commons, an important skill for contributing to the broader Wikimedia ecosystem.
The meeting brought impressive results, more than 20 new users registered on Wikipedia and expressed strong enthusiasm to join the editing community. Meanwhile, experienced contributors continued working on improving and expanding articles related to Asia as part of the Wikipedia Asian Month campaign.
The atmosphere throughout the session was warm, friendly, and highly interactive. A cozy coffee break helped attendees connect with one another, exchange ideas, and build new friendships. Even after the workshop officially ended, the students stayed longer to play games, socialize, and continue conversations, a moment that melted all the initial shyness and strengthened the sense of community.
The event demonstrated once again how offline meetups can inspire young people, spark interest in open knowledge, and strengthen the Wikimedia movement in Central Asia. Organizers hope that many of these newly joined participants will continue contributing and bring fresh perspectives to Wikimedia projects.
You can view the full collection of photos from the meeting here.
- By: Klára Joklová
The creation of the new Strategic Plan for 2025–2027, finalised in May 2024, brought together a wide range of people from our community – members of the association, volunteers, partners, and employees. We built on the experience gained in previous years and on insights from community research. Our goal was to ensure that this time, every voice would be heard and that the plan would reflect the needs of all those who shape the Czech Wikimedia movement with us.
The process lasted several months and included numerous consultations, workshops, and discussions. The result is a document grounded in the values of openness, collaboration, and sustainability. I see it as an important step toward ensuring that in the coming years, we can continue to develop our activities in alignment with the needs of our community and the changes occurring in society.
At the same time, 2024 reaffirmed that our work has a real impact – and that the strength of the Wikimedia movement lies in collaboration, trust, and the willingness to share knowledge across people, institutions, and generations.
- By: Il Nur (talk), Alisa Fatikhova (talk)
As the Tatar proverb says, "Ишектән кергәч — күрек уза, түргә менгәч — холык уза," which translates to "when you enter the door, appearance is judged, but in the living room, character is judged" (or "first impressions matter, but true quality is seen later"), and we decided to make the Main Page more 'alive' by ensuring that the other sections are also updated automatically. This began in mid-October with the creation of modules that update the sections on the Main Page several times a day (in the case of interesting facts, 4 times a day) or with every cache update. All of this content is drawn from the archive of the respective sections, which participants have been creating since the launch of Tatar Wikipedia. These modules randomly select and display the content on the Main Page. Thus, when visiting Tatar Wikipedia several times a day at different times, you will see not a frozen site, but constantly new articles selected from the 126 featured articles, the 170 good articles, and different interesting facts from the 90 issues. We believe that this solution will help many projects with few active participants who would like to see a more active Main Page, and we will be happy to assist upon request.
- By: MagdaBarascu (talk)
Two paths to knowledge
The campaign proposed two complementary categories of articles: General series on open access – covering foundational concepts, platforms, and practices and theme-specific series – exploring the 2025 focus on ownership, accessibility, and the politics of knowledge. This dual approach allowed participants to both strengthen the encyclopedia’s coverage of open access basics and engage with deeper questions about how knowledge is produced, shared, and controlled.
Students took the lead
A highlight of the week was the involvement of students from Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB), who joined two hybrid training sessions on editing Romanian Wikipedia. Guided by experienced wikimedians and faculty members, participants learned how to contribute responsibly to open knowledge projects. Sessions ran from 9:00–11:00 and 14:00–16:00, accommodating diverse student schedules.
“It went well,” reflected session coordinator Prof. Vlad Popovici. “We had 40 participants in the two groups, and we hope to see them in the Wikipedia editing contest as well.”
Topics Edited
- Common Knowledge
- What is OpenAIRE
- Delayed Open Access Journal
These articles not only enriched Romanian Wikipedia but also connected students to the broader movement for open science.
Collective Achievements
The campaign was marked by energy, enthusiasm, and a renewed commitment to free knowledge.
Together, participants achieved:
- 18 actively engaged contributors
- 189 edits to Wikipedia content
- 66 pages improved with trusted sources and relevant information
- 43 newly created articles, filling important gaps in coverage
- 515,081 bytes of content added – a substantial expansion of Romanian Wikipedia
A Growing Movement
Open Access Week 2025 in Romania and Moldova demonstrated how local initiatives can resonate globally. By combining academic institutions, volunteer communities, and motivated students, the campaign strengthened the visibility of open access and highlighted Wikipedia’s role as a living platform for free knowledge.
The question “Who Owns Our Knowledge?” remains open, but the answer is being shaped every day by communities like Wikimedia CEE. Through collaboration, transparency, and dedication, they ensure that knowledge belongs to everyone.
They learned how Wikidata works and how it connects information with Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. They explored how items and statements help make knowledge easier to find, verify, and share.
They created and improved Wikidata items and articles about Albanian figures, culture, geography, and people without birthdays, etc. In total, participants edited 53 articles on Wikipedia and made 287 revisions on Wikidata.
Social media
- We have a public channel on WhatsApp of Albanian Language if you want to join and discuss Wikimedia projects.
If you want to see more about our activities, you canː
- Like our Facebook page, follow us on formerly Twitter or X or Instagram.
- By: Vyolltsa (talk WoALUG)
We have opened new WikiClubs, expanded our work with schools, and started a collaboration with the Aleksandër Xhuvani University in Elbasan. All these efforts help students build media and information literacy skills and think critically.
New WikiClubs
After working with several youth centers during the summer, we continued this journey by creating new WikiClubs at the beginning of the school year. This year, we are supporting WikiClubs in different and often remote areas of Albania. Students and young people are:
- learning how Wikipedia works
- making their first edits
- exploring other Wikimedia projects
- developing digital and research skills
University partnership with Aleksandër Xhuvani
We have started a new education partnership with the Department of Journalism at Aleksandër Xhuvani University. Through this collaboration, journalism students are:
- completing practical assignments on Wikipedia
- learning different types of texts
- practicing verification and fact-checking techniques
- gaining experience in writing
Wikipedia Editathons with Konstandin Kristoforidhi High School
Alongside the WikiClubs and university work, we are organizing a series of Wikipedia editathons with Konstandin Kristoforidhi High School. During these sessions, students will:
- learn editing basics
- work in groups on selected topics
- use reliable sources and information
- write new or improve articles on Wikipedia
These activities focus on creating a welcoming learning ecosystem where students, teachers, and young people feel confident to be part of the free knowledge-sharing process and join the Wikimedia Movement.
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With the students from Konstandin Kristoforidhi -
Journalism students discussing fact-checking -
During the basic Wikipedia training -
Wikiclub session 1 -
Practicing Wikipedia editing
Social media
- We have a public channel on WhatsApp of Albanian Language if you want to join and discuss Wikimedia projects.
If you want to see more about our activities, you canː
- Like our Facebook page, follow us on formerly Twitter or X or Instagram.
Education Program
- A continuation of the cooperation with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Belgrade has been agreed. According to the plan, workshops for students will be held during the upcoming winter semester. In parallel, activities were carried out on planning the teacher training project, as well as establishing cooperation with schools in which accredited seminars have not been implemented so far.
- Within the Wikipedia in Schools project, the review of seminar papers from the previous school year continued, along with calculating project metrics and planning activities for the upcoming period.
- The selection process for the new Education Program Manager has been completed, and Lоra Milutinović was selected for this position. She began her work on October 1st.
- During October, preparations were made for the Edu Wiki Camp, which will take place from November 14 to 16 in Belgrade. The camp will gather 11 participants who will have the opportunity to learn about the activities of Wikimedia Serbia and undergo training in editing Wikimedia projects.
- The first meeting was held with students from the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, who will participate in Wikimedia Serbia’s activities as part of their 90-hour internship.
- An initial meeting was also held with the Negotin Gymnasium regarding future cooperation, during which students will learn the basics of editing Wikipedia.
- The Program Manager for Culture and Science, Nebojša Ratković, participated in the National Seminar of the Mathematical Society of Serbia, where he presented ways in which Wikipedia can be used to develop students’ digital competencies in computer science classes.
GLAM Program
- During September and October, activities within the GLAM program of Wikimedia Serbia continued. At the beginning of this period, Wikimedia Serbia welcomed a new Program Manager for Culture and Science, Nebojša Ratković, the former Education Program Manager. With the introduction of the science segment, the organization has expanded its scope of work, which will contribute to the development of new projects and partnerships in the coming period.
- In cooperation with the “Vuk Karadžić” National Library in Veliko Gradište, the Wikipedian in Residence project that began in September continued. Throughout both months, work was carried out on digitizing various materials, including important journals and photographs. In total, 40 new articles were written and 605 files were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons.
- In September, preparations began for a new Wikidata thematic week, which was implemented in October under the title GLAMorous Wikidata. Five editors participated in the event, creating 24 new items and improving 694 existing items, with a total of 1,750 edits.
- Wikimedia Serbia took part in the GLAM Wiki Conference held in Lisbon from October 30 to November 1. The organization’s representative, Gorana Gomirac, participated as a moderator of a panel on the digital resilience of cultural heritage and co-led a skills and knowledge exchange workshop.
- Additionally, work was carried out on planning the final Wikipedian in Residence program which will be implemented by the end of 2025.
Diversity Program
- During September and October, a variety of activities were carried out within the Diversity Program of Wikimedia Serbia. September started with the Wiki Loves Pride edit-a-thon, during which editors wrote and expanded articles on queer figures, culture, history, art, events, and other topics related to the LGBTQIA+ community. Participants also enriched Wikimedia Commons with photographs from EuroPride and other LGBT+ events. Five editors took part in this activity, and a total of 19 articles were written.
- In September, the article-writing competition From Alaska to Patagonia was launched and ran until October 8. The competition focused on topics related to North and South America, including history, culture, science, economy, and sports. More than 49 million bytes of content were contributed, 76 new articles were created, and 21 articles were expanded.
- At the same time, the call for proposals for the implementation and funding of Wikimedia Serbia’s volunteer projects for 2026 was completed. The call was open from September 2 to October 2 for organizations, individuals, and cultural and educational institutions. After the selection process, the committee notified the leaders of the projects that were approved.
- During October, preparations were also underway for the Food and Drink competition, which will be held from November 3 to December 3. The competition will focus on topics related to gastronomy, and the most active participants will be awarded vouchers for purchasing sports equipment.
- Additionally, activities within the Wiki Loves Sport edit-a-thon, which ran from June 30 to September 21, were concluded. A total of 12 editors participated, creating 248 articles about sports teams, athletes, and sporting events, achieving excellent results once again this year.
- By: Oksana Makarenko (UA-Lora)
The exhibition was prepared by the Polish foundation «Krymski Dom», which promotes Crimean Tatar topics in Poland. Prior to this, the project was presented in Przemyśl in August during the Polish-Ukrainian literary festival, and after Wrocław, it moved to Warsaw.
As a note to the reader: Crimean Tatars are an Eastern European Turkic ethnic group and nation indigenous to Crimea, where they were the most populous demographic until the 20th century. Recognized as an indigenous people by Ukraine and the European Union, they have been members of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Significant Crimean Tatar diaspora populations exist in Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Each exhibition stand was dedicated to one of the heroines, including singer Jamala, feminist leader Şefiqa Gaspıralı, and civil rights activist Ayşe Seitmuratova. The stand contained biographical information and a portrait – a collage specially created for this project by artist Natella Shavadze. It was clear that the images from these stands could serve as excellent illustrations for Wikipedia articles, and, additionally, by being in Wikimedia Commons, they would become accessible to a broad audience worldwide.
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The exhibition «She is Crimea, She is World». Wrocław, Poland. © UA-Lora, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
The exhibition «She is Crimea, She is World». Wrocław, Poland. © UA-Lora, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
The exhibition «She is Crimea, She is World». Wrocław, Poland. © UA-Lora, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Krymski Dom Foundation agreed to release the collage images under a free license. The Vice-President of the Board of the Krymski Dom Foundation, Ms. Barbara Kaczmarczyk, supported this initiative and mentioned that proposal to publish the images of the heroines in Wikimedia projects perfectly aligned with their goals, as it allows the exhibition's message to reach a wide international audience. The «She is Crimea, She is World» exhibition was designed to introduce the history of Crimean Tatars to the Polish public, highlight the situation in occupied Crimea, and demonstrate the crucial role of women in the community. The organizers used the artistic form of collage to discuss complex issues in a modern way and challenge stereotypes about women in Muslim communities.
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Ayşe Seitmuratova © Natella Shavadze, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Jamala © Natella Shavadze, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Şefiqa Gaspıralı © Natella Shavadze, CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Sevgil Musayeva © Natella Shavadze, CC BY-SA 4.0
All formal procedures for the release were completed quite quickly. Wikimedia Poland verified and approved the application for permission to use the images of portrait collages under the free Creative Commons license on the same day. Then 47 files were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons – 11 portrait collages and 36 photographs of the Wrocław exhibition (as derivative works that do not require additional permission), appropriate categories were created, the images were added to Wikidata and articles on Wikipedia. And for six of these eleven women, these are currently the only images of them on Commons. For example, in the Ukrainian article about the writer Alie Kendzhalieva, the collage from the exhibition is now her main image in the infobox.
The uploaded images are now illustrating 24 articles on Wikipedia in Polish, Ukrainian, English, Russian, and Crimean Tatar. Articles on many of these heroines are available in numerous languages – including German, French, Italian, Bulgarian, and Japanese – and are also ready to be illustrated.
At the same time there are currently no articles in any language for some of the exhibition's heroines. These are important figures and well-known activists such as one of the first Crimean Tatar leaders Inci-Bek-hatun, singer Elvira Sarykhalil, journalist Lutfiye Zudieva, and entrepreneur and cultural figure Susanna Izzetdinova. Their Wikidata items and Wikimedia Commons categories are now created, and available sources of information are gathered, so the next step would be including them in the lists of proposed topics for the «(Un)known Women on Wikipedia» campaign on Ukrainian Wikipedia, which is planned for December–January 2025.
Please join the effort to bring knowledge about them into your language Wikipedia or add information about them into their Wikidata items or Wikimedia Commons description!
- A table with some languages of the region listing the heroines from the exhibition with links to their Wikidata IDs:
| № | Article |  en
|
 bg
|
 crh
|
 de
|
 pl
|
 ro
|
 ru
|
 tr
|
 uk
|
Σ |
Wikidata | st. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayşe Seitmuratova  (1937–2025)
|
+ | + | + | – | – | + | + | + | + | 7 | Q62713331 | 13 | + |
| 2 | Aliye Kendzhaliyeva (b. 1986)
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | + | 1 | Q116946129 | 13 | + |
| 3 | Elvira Sarykhalil (b. 1983)
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | + | 1 | Q136654209 | 13 | + |
| 4 | Emine Dzhaparova (b. 1983)
|
+ | – | – | + | + | + | + | + | + | 7 | Q25442402 | 17 | + |
| 5 | Inci-Bek-hatun (?)
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | + | 1 | Q136659766 | 5 | + |
| 6 | Jamala (b. 1983)
|
+ | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | 9 | Q2662517 | 25 | + |
| 7 | Lutfiye Zudieva (b. 1983)
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | + | 1 | Q124666323 | 11 | + |
| 8 | Sabrie Seutova (1953–1998)
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | + | – | + | 2 | Q55108136 | 10 | + |
| 9 | Sevgil Musayeva-Borovyk (b. 1987)
|
+ | + | – | + | – | + | + | + | + | 7 | Q17275373 | 15 | + |
| 10 | Şefika Gaspıralı (1886–1975)
|
+ | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | 9 | Q3760333 | 20 | + |
| 11 | Susanna Izzetdinova (b. 1976)
|
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | + | 1 | Q136659722 | 11 | + |
| Σ | → Autolist→ gallery→ timeline | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 46 | avg: 4\5\46% | 153 | 
|
- Category with photos from the exhibition: Category:She is Crimea, She is World exhibition (Wroclaw)
- Category with collages: Category:She is Crimea, She is World exhibition (photocollages)
- By: antanana, a member of Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine organising team
The Wiki Loves Monuments contest has been organised in Ukraine since 2012, and it is one of the biggest projects Wikimedia Ukraine is supporting. The 2025 edition was logistically especially challenging, as the Russian rockets and drones constantly attacked power grid, causing long power cuts all over the country lasting up to 18 hours at times. The contest also has a self-imposed limitation of accepting photos taken no later than August 31, 2025 to protect both national security and participants. The only exception is the interiors of monuments – their pictures can be submitted even if the pictures were taken during the competition in October. The limitation creates challenges for new users who just learnt about the contest from a banner... But it also motivates people to take and upload more interior pictures.
"The 2025 contest edition had over 38 thousand pictures submitted by 267 users. The photos depict 6795 objects from all 27 regions of Ukraine. 981 objects are pictured for the first time in the contest. We would, of course, check the pictures if there are no mistakes - some people cannot believe that this or that monuments does not have an official status, and they sometimes upload pictures to the closest monument in the lists they can find. This work usually takes us months", highlighted Ahonc, a member of the Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine team, responsible for maintaining the lists. "A very detailed table with statistics in the regions is here. Our overall lists include more than 107 thousand objects, and in 14 years we have collected pictures of more than 42 thousand of them, so 39%".
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1st picture of the church (and from the village). Zakarpattia Oblast -
1st picture from the village (former school). Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast -
1st picture from the village (former estate's gates). Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
This year also saw the biggest number of special categories in the contest - 11: Interiors, Elements of Exterior, Film Photography, Kharkiv Landmarks, War Destroys Monuments, Wooden Monuments, Videos, and also Bulgarian, German, Jewish (includes Karaite heritage), and Polish Heritage.
"Special categories allow us to draw attention both of participants and of the general public to some aspects of monuments. For example, Interiors and Elements of Exterior motivate to upload less popular but more valuable views of the cultural heritage. Other special categories are about means of documenting, like Film Photography and Videos. And, of course, thematic special categories allow people to document monuments without official state protection status, and that requires creating separate contest lists, like War Destroys Monuments, Wooden Monuments, and cultural heritage of peoples of Ukraine", commented Mykola Kozlenko, the longest serving member of the Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine team.
"The initial statistics (as there would be corrections made over the next few months, as the team will go over the uploaded pictures) show that Wooden Monuments was the most popular special category this year, with more than 5100 pictures uploaded. Other special categories remain on the expected level, you can check the page for more detailed statistics on each of them here: Commons:Wiki Loves Monuments 2025 in Ukraine/Special nominations statistics", shared Ilya, a member of the Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine team responsible for bots, statistics, and running Commons:WLX Jury Tool.
"We organised the Wooden Monuments special category for the first time back in 2014 on a much smaller scale - back then we were still experimenting with special categories. We have updated the lists to prepare for this year's edition, and now the lists include around 5200 monuments, and 607 of them - without state protection status, including quite old wooden churches from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Soviet system of recognising the monuments that Ukraine inherited, was not "fond" of designating churches as cultural heritage, so these churches are still not protected properly... Wooden structures are especially prone to fires, and the ongoing Russian attacks create even bigger risks to them, so we decided to document them while we can", commented Xsandriel, a member of the Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine team responsible for maintaining contest lists.
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Mykola Gogol Vocational College. Mariupol, Donetsk Oblast. Burnt in 2022 by Russian shelling -
Saint Nicholas church (end of 18th century). Shmyrky, Khmelnytskyi Oblast -
Windmill. Kapustyne, Cherkasy Oblast
Daryna Vozniuk, the project manager for Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine, also shared about Kharkiv Landmarks special category: "This special category is dedicated to documenting monuments in Kharkiv, the second biggest city in Ukraine, located in the northeast of the country and close to the border with Russia, so it is under constant Russian fire. We have partnered with Kharkiv Youth City Council to organise this project. Such special category raises awareness of a dire need to document city's landmarks - or their destruction. The lists of the city include 1264 objects, and this year 25 participants uploaded almost 1900 pictures of 186 monuments".
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Decorations. Boiko House, Kharkiv -
17 Zakhysnykiv Ukrainy Square, Kharkiv, after a russian drone attack -
8 Svobody Street, Kharkiv
Atoly, a member of the Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine team responsible for visuals, commented: "Videos is probably our the most interesting special category, especially if you think about in the context of a photo contest... But as the main goal of the project is illustrating Wikipedia, we thought that it is useful to have it organised. This year we had 40 videos submitted, and we hope to select the best ones in the coming weeks".
"The Bulgarian Heritage special category was organised for the first time as a pilot project, so on a smaller scale. Hopefully next year it can be a full-blown project, done in cooperation with the Bulgarian Embassy in Ukraine, some Bulgarian organisations", mentioned MeOlya, the press secretary of Wikimedia Ukraine, and a member of the Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine team responsible for communication. "We are very grateful that the Bulgarian Wikimedia community was able to provide us support to pull off the project very last minute this year".
According to Wikipedia, Bulgarians in Ukraine “make up the fifth biggest minority in the country and primarily reside in southern Ukraine”. Ukrainian Bulgarians are mostly living in Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Donetsk Oblasts, and these regions are under constant Russian military attacks or occupied, and the Ukrainian team wanted to motivate people to upload pictures of their settlements and cultural heritage via the contest.
To conduct the project, organisers prepared the list. It includes objects with an official status as a "cultural monument", but also objects without such a status. It can include objects even if they are in ruins, repurposed or rebuilt. Participants were warned that pictures and videos of objects without such a status can take part only in the special category and cannot be awarded in main categories of the contest. This year the special award is just a pilot project – volunteers just started populating the lists (see here: Вікіпедія:Вікі любить пам'ятки/Болгарська спадщина), and prepared a landing page. The participants uploaded 339 pictures, picturing 41 objects (39 of them do not have a state recognition). The pilot contest list includes 58 objects overall, only 9 of them have official protective status, but the majority, 48 objects in the lists are not protected by the state.
For example, there is a village in Zaporizhzhia Oblast near Berdiansk – Андрово. It was established in 1862 by Bulgarians. And it is now occupied by Russia, so there is no easy access there to take pictures. The Bulgarian community there was the biggest in Berdiansk raion, and some of them were evacuated and relocated to Zaporizhzhia. But the Wikimedia Commons has only pictures related to the World War II and Soviet times (Category:Andrivka).
The participants of Wiki Loves Monuments photo contest uploaded pictures from that village – an old school, music school, old bridge, and old buildings in the village. These buildings preserve the Bulgarian spirit of the place, but they were not documented before either on Wikipedia or Wikimedia Commons, and they do not yet illustrate the article about the village. Occupation and active military actions might result in significant or even total destruction of the settlement, so it is very important to document and preserve what we can.
The jury for the special category will consist of Bulgarian Wikimedians: Iglika Ivanova, Nikola Kalchev, Nikola Tulechki.
"I think that being able to support this project even in this pilot stage means a lot for our Wikimedia community, and for preserving cultural heritage of Ukrainian Bulgarians.
I hope that next year we can organise a follow-up project of creating and improving articles about these villages and monuments in Bulgarian Wikipedia", said Iglika Ivanova, lecturer at Sofia University, a jury member of Bulgarian Heritage Special Category.
The project will include searching for volunteers to translate file descriptions into Bulgarian, and organise a thematic week of creating, improving, and illustrating articles about Bulgarian settlements in Ukraine into Bulgarian.
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Old Bulgarian cemetery, Strohanivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast -
Old Bulgarian village house. Botiieve, Zaporizhzhia Oblast -
Old Bulgarian church, Manuilivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast -
Inside. Old Bulgarian church, Manuilivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast -
Saint George church, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast
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The Wiki Loves Monuments Ukraine team plans to start announcing winners of the Ukrainian edition of the contest, and also of its special categories, later in December. The hybrid awards ceremony is planned for spring 2026.
- By: Hynek Kaplan (WMCZ) (talk)
This event attracted 10 editors of diverse ages and backgrounds, where each of them had the possibility to create, improve, and expand articles on Wikipedia.
During the day, participants created 10 new articles and edited 35 existing ones. This editathon demonstrated and highlighted that together, collaborating as a big community, we can share knowledge and make information available to everyone.
The Tirana editathon adds to ongoing work by the community to keep Albanian Wikipedia growing, reliable, and verifiable.
Social media
- We have a public channel on WhatsApp of Albanian Language if you want to join and discuss Wikimedia projects.
If you want to see more about our activities, you canː
- Like our Facebook page, follow us on formerly Twitter or X or Instagram.
- By: Il Nur (talk), Alisa Fatikhova (talk)
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Tatar Wikipedia was initially created in the Latin script in 2003, and from 2009, the project began the coexistence of two alphabets with duplicate articles linked via templates. As of today, articles written in Latin script constitute a minor part of the total number of articles (about 0.04%), and the interface is translated into Cyrillic. For articles in the Latin script, the common Turkic alphabet, approved for transliteration under the Law on the Use of the Tatar Language in the Republic of Tatarstan dated 24.12.2012, is applied.
Since the activation period of Tatar Wikipedia (Spring 2009), conflicts of various nature and magnitude constantly arose around writing articles based on the Latin alphabet, starting from which variant to use. With the approval of the transliteration rules under the Law on the Use of the Tatar Language in the Republic of Tatarstan, a standard was also adopted in the project. However, the practice of writing articles about the same phenomenon in two alphabets — Cyrillic and Latin — continued. Since 2014, attempts were made to create a transliteration converter to eliminate this practice, including with the participation of external programmers, but this was unsuccessful — for example, in 2014, a 99% complete converter was not approved by stewards because it was too large and required splitting into several parts.
Only in October 2025, with the effort of the Tatar Wikipedia community itself, was a transliterator developed and implemented. This converter allows articles written in Latin script to be read in Cyrillic, and articles written in Cyrillic to be read in Latin script. The issue of Latin-Cyrillic duplicates has disappeared. Although the converter opens up the technical possibility of entering words and sentences written in Cyrillic into an article written in Latin script, and vice versa, participants do not use this practice and have no desire or need to introduce such rules.
Nevertheless, the converter requires improvement, as errors may occur during the transliteration of loanwords from other languages due to the fact that the alphabets are not identical, and one letter in one alphabet may represent several letters in the other, such as the letter К which is converted to K and Q in different words. A page for a list of exceptions has been created for such cases.
The presence of this converter will subsequently bring us closer to creating a new converter for the Arabic script as well, which is not yet relevant due to Wikipedia's restriction in China, where the absolute majority of those who use only Tatar Arabic script reside. As we know, a similar project has already been implemented in Kazakh Wikipedia. Also, at the initiative of the Karakalpak Wikipedia interface administrator, a Cyrillic-to-Latin converter for the Karakalpak language was created jointly, based on ours, and offered to the Karakalpak Wikipedia community.