Travel
5 traveling
Thaddeus DFW → Helsinki → Warsaw
Feb 10: DFW 4:55 PM → HEL 10:45 AM (+1d) · AA 9018 / Finnair
Feb 11: HEL 11:40 AM → WAW 12:20 PM · AA 9005 / Finnair
American: MXSMID · Finnair: AJ83WA · Premium Economy outbound
Logan + Laura + Alec LAX → Warsaw
Feb 10: LAX 4:15 PM → WAW 12:50 PM (+1d) · LO 22
LOT: YXJ3HS · Direct LAX–WAW
Leg 1 Warsaw → Kyiv (overnight)
Train 068Л · Carriage 2 · Class 2
DEP Feb 12 18:50 Warszawa Ws → ARR Feb 13 10:45 Kyiv Pas
Thaddeus: 44 · Logan: 53 · Alec: 55 · Laura: 51
Rocco traveling with crew. Filming begins on the train — journey into the heart of darkness
Leg 2 Kyiv → Dnipro (Intercity+)
Train 734 · Carriage 004 · Class С/2
DEP Feb 13 16:12 Kyiv Pas → ARR Feb 13 22:12 Dnipro-Holovnyi
Thaddeus: 23, 24 · Logan: 28, 29 · Laura: 33, 34
Two seats each for equipment
5.5 hours (10:45 → 16:12)
Razom picking up from train station with van(s). Lunch at Razom office, then to Kyiv station for Dnipro train.
Leg 3 Dnipro → Chełm (overnight)
Night train · Departs evening of Mar 2
Cross-border to Chełm, Poland (just across border)
Leg 4 Chełm → Warsaw
Arrive Chełm → Transfer to Warsaw
Mar 3 · Presidential Hotel again
Logan + Laura + Alec Warsaw → LAX
Mar 4: WAW 4:40 PM → LAX 8:20 PM · LO 23
LOT: YXJ3HS · Direct WAW–LAX
Thaddeus Warsaw → Helsinki → DFW
Mar 5: WAW 8:50 AM → HEL 11:35 AM · AA 8976 / Finnair
HEL 12:30 PM → DFW 3:10 PM · AA 9019 / Finnair
American: MXSMID · Premium Economy return
Warsaw Presidential Hotel
65/79 Aleje Jerozolimskie
Outbound: Feb 11–13 (2 nights, all)
Return: Mar 3–4 (crew 1 night, Thaddeus 2)
3 rooms, Deluxe King, 30th fl+
Logan + Laura ·
Thaddeus ·
Alec
Ref: SCT4VF · PLN 3,339 prepaid (outbound)
Dnipro Tsunami Hotel Spa
Soborna sq 12, Dnipro
Feb 13 – Mar 3 (18 nights, extra night for gear)
Thaddeus: Rms 420+510 ·
Alec: Rms 421+511 ·
Logan+Laura: Rms 508+426
Res: 000127353 · +38 (095) 070 00 10
Bags Checked
Thaddeus: 2 bags free (American)
Max 50 lbs / 62" each
LOT crew: check LOT policy
Schedule
Feb 10 – Mar 5
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
10
Departure
16:15 LAX → WAW (LO 22)
16:55 DFW → HEL (AA 9018)
Transit
11
Warsaw
Flights ~noon
Presidential Hotel
Rest + gifts
Arrival
12
Travel
18:50 Depart Warsaw
Filming on train
Rocco + crew
Transit
13
Arrival
10:45 Kyiv — Razom
Lunch at Razom office
16:12 Kyiv → Dnipro
22:12 Arrive Dnipro
14
Day 1
Joint rounds, ICU
Andrews + Kuffler present (13–17)
3 skull patients ready
Surgery
15
Day 2
Rounds + surgeries
Patient arcs begin
Surgery
16
Day 3
08:10 Dir. Ryzhenko
Briefing + rounds
Dinner (social)
Rounds
17
Day 4 — Conference
10:00 Neurosurgery Conference
Armonda, Andrews, Kuffler
Farewell Andrews + Kuffler
Conference
18
Day 5 — Key
3 skull reconstructions
Armonda + Sirko + Gulidin
NEOBIONIX implants
Surgery Key
19
Day 6 — Andrii's Birthday
Endovascular w/ Armonda
Birthday dinner
Surgery
20
Day 7
Final rounds + surgery
Farewell dinner
Farewell Armonda
21
Day 8
Filming continues
Character stories
22
Day 9
Filming continues
Overnights w/ Bohdan
23
Day 10
Filming continues
24
Day 11 — Invasion +4
4th anniversary of full-scale invasion
Be present, be respectful
Anniversary
25
Day 12
Filming continues
26
Day 13
Filming continues
27
Day 14
Filming continues
28
Day 15
Hryhorii Sirko arrives
Beeswax + honey
Bees
1Mar
Day 16
Filming continues
2Mar
Day 17 — Final Shoot
Last day of filming
Gear stored at Tsunami
Late night train → Chełm
Wrap Transit
3Mar
Warsaw
Arrive Chełm
Chełm → Warsaw
Presidential Hotel
4Mar
Crew Flies
16:40 Crew WAW → LAX
Thaddeus stays
5Mar
Thaddeus Flies
08:50 WAW → HEL → DFW
Feb 14–20 is Andrii's preliminary plan. Feb 21+ flexible — subject to change based on patients and conditions.
Overnight Shifts
Bohdan
"The front arrives at night. We need to be there when it does."
2–3 complete overnight shifts Priority
Ambulance arrivals, ER chaos, full rotation with Bohdan. This is where the war meets the hospital.
Bohdan overnight (16:00–08:00) dates within Feb 13–20 TBC from duty schedule
Questions & Answers
From Andrii
Answered Nick's last name
Two Nikitas: Nikita Lombrozo — vascular neurosurgeon, young daughter, will be Andrii's next PhD. Nikita Dibrova — anesthesiology intern (the one in the photo).
Answered Bee location & beeswax
Bees are in hives at an apiary (not a farm). Dormant in winter — can't see them until spring. Father Hryhorii Sirko will be in Dnipro Feb 28 and will bring beeswax and honey.
Answered Sviatoslav & school
Sviatoslav now does online school — air raids force kids into cold basements, so most parents switched to remote. Twice a week he goes to physical training (gym + another day) in the evenings.
Answered Patient arcs
Can begin filming full patient arcs Saturday or Sunday. Three skull reconstruction patients ready. Tumor patients and wounded soldiers both available.
No-Go Zaporizhzhia / Khortytsia / Kapulivka
All under constant attack. Nikopol region (Kapulivka, re-emerging land) is among the most dangerous — continuous artillery fire, drones actively hunting civilians. Not safe.
Answered Other journalists
Depends on General Director. Possible local TV for the Tuesday conference, but nothing confirmed. Director is media-oriented, may invite crews for extraordinary stories.
New Intel Yurii Skrebets
Deputy Medical Director. Led Hospitallers medical team, wounded in combat, returned to Mechnikov. Later wounded again when Shahed drone hit a friend's house. Andrii's internship colleague. We missed interviewing him Trip 1.
Key People
20 subjects
Sirko Family
Dr. Andrii Sirko Lead
Head of Cerebral Neurosurgery
Skull reconstruction surgery (beeswax), sit-down interview about technique, visit bee location, visit country house
Bohdan Sirko Overnights
Neurosurgeon, Andrii's son
2–3 complete overnight shifts, ambulance arrivals, ER chaos. "Just job."
Tetiana Sirko
Andrii's wife
Spend a day with her. Napoleon cake masterclass was promised!
Sviatoslav Sirko
Andrii's youngest son
Online school (air raids). Physical training 2x/week evenings. See him at gym or at home
Sasha Tverdokhlibova
Bohdan's girlfriend
Does she still work at the coffee shop? See her there
Mechnikov Doctors
Dir. Serhiy Ryzhenko Director
General Director, Mechnikov Hospital
Personal interview (not institutional). "The chaplain, the confessor."
Dr. Svitlana Vitalieva
ENT Physician
We have a proper interview. Want to see her life — morning with daughters, routine
Dr. Antoniy Nakaznyi
Neurosurgeon (Mariupol survivor)
More time. "Still seems haunted." Harrowing interview from Trip 1. Who is he now?
Dr. Radoslav Malyi
Neurosurgeon
Time at work and at home. Chicago Bears surgical cap
G
S.P. Grygoruk (Serghiy)
Head of Vascular Neurosurgery
Civilian vascular neurosurgeon with extensive experience
O
Dmytro Ovcharenko
Head of Spinal Neurosurgery Center
Sviatoslav's godfather. On duty schedule
G
Mykyta Gulidin
Neurosurgeon
Joint skull reconstruction surgeries with Armonda
N
Nikita Lombrozo New
Vascular neurosurgeon, Andrii's next PhD
Young daughter. Performs large volume of surgeries on wounded, like Bohdan and Antoniy
Y
Yurii Skrebets New
Deputy Medical Director
Former Hospitallers medic, wounded in combat, then wounded again by Shahed drone. Missed him Trip 1
Interns & Nurses
Dr. Mykhailo Fidria
Surgical intern (3rd year)
Father at front. Cooks for night duty team. "How small their world is outside the hospital"
Dr. Artem Tretiakov
Surgical intern
Father at front. Dreams of becoming neurosurgeon
V
Dr. Vadym Perepelytsia New
Andrii's 2nd PhD student
Became a father + defended dissertation in same week. See him with his baby
N
Natalia Malisevych New
Anesthesiologist, neuro-ICU
Husband Roman on front. Met Roman because Andrii operated on his brother
O
Olga Pavlichenko
OR Nurse
Hour-long bus to/from work. Not married — no time. Days with neurosurgeons, nights alone. Patients rarely see them
K
Karina Kubinets
OR Nurse
Not married, no children. No time to meet anyone — same as Olga. Days with neurosurgeons, nights alone
4F
4th Floor Nurses Ask Andrii
Cerebral Neurosurgery Center
Husbands at war, 24-hour shifts raising small children. Names TBD from Andrii
American Team
R
Dr. Rocco Armonda Traveling
American military neurosurgeon
"What Dnipro faces today, the rest of us may face tomorrow"
A
Prof. Andrew Russell (Andrews)
American neurosurgery professor
In Dnipro Feb 13–17. Conference speaker. Farewell Mon evening
K
Prof. Damian Kufler (Kuffler)
American neurosurgery professor
In Dnipro Feb 13–17. Conference speaker. Farewell Mon evening
Patients
Anatoliy Chudnovsky Safety
Patient, 66yo excavator operator
Granddaughter Illinka on Khortytsia — Zaporizhzhia NOT SAFE. May not be possible
?
Cossack Camp Patient Ask Andrii
Former patient, now teaching martial arts
Working at a Cossack camp teaching martial arts. Name TBD from Andrii
What to Capture
Shot List
Essential
Patient arcs — Full journey: arrival → surgery → recovery/discharge/evacuation. Tumor patients (can follow home), soldiers (follow to train station). Begin Sat/Sun
Skull reconstruction — Beeswax from Andrii's bees, tying agrarian to OR. Three patients with massive cranial defects ready
Overnight shifts — "The front arrives at night." 2–3 with Bohdan minimum. Ambulance arrivals, ER intake
Ambulance ride-along — Be present for patient transport if possible
Train station evacuations — Soldiers being transported out
Character Stories
Lives outside the hospital — Olga's bus, Sviatoslav at school, Svitlana's routine, Vadym with baby, Mykhailo cooking late at night
Audio diaries — Set up voice recordings for Bohdan, Andrii, others — nightly reflections they keep doing after we leave
Locations
Andrii's bees — NOT on a farm — separate location. Need Andrii to take us there
Country house — If time allows
Dnipro texture — Mosaics, past/present, the city itself
Re-emerging Cossack land — Land along Dnipro re-emerging after Kakhovka dam destruction. Forest returning
Safety & Logistics
Danger Zaporizhzhia / Khortytsia Island
Under constant attack. NOT SAFE for visit. Anatoliy/Illinka visit may not be possible.
Red Zone Kapulivka (Sirko Monument)
130km from Dnipro, across river from Russian-occupied nuclear plant. Need safety assessment from Andrii.
Info Telegram Alerts
t.me/dnipro_alerts · t.me/kyiv_dumon
Power Electricity
City: few hours/day only. Hospital: 24/7 (generators). Anastasia's apartment on hospital power line.
Weather Forecast
Highs 25–43°F first week, warming to 50s by Feb 19. Dress in layers.
Transport Anastasia
Zee rides to hospital daily. Starts Feb 14 (not 13th).
Media Other Journalists
Depends on General Director. No confirmed news crews during our visit.
Director's Notes
Everybody has their windmill. That's what this film is about. The unconquerable spirit of the Ukrainian people, as exemplified by the people of Mechnikov and her city of Dnipro. The fortress of healing.
We want to go deeper into more lives this time. Not just the doctors at work — the full humans.
The front arrives at night. We need to be there when it does.
We'll spread the net wide first, then sharpen as we go — hone in on the spine we can build our scaffolding on.
Production Team
Contacts
Thaddeus Matula
Director / Producer
Phone TBD
Logan Fulton
DP / Camera
Phone TBD
Laura Kulik
Camera
Phone TBD
Alec Baer
Camera
Phone TBD
Dr. Rocco Armonda
Subject / Traveling with crew
Phone TBD
Anastasia
Translator / Fixer (Dnipro)
Phone TBD
King Hollis
Producer (stateside)
Phone TBD
Dr. Andrii Sirko
Lead Subject / Mechnikov Hospital
Phone TBD