Photo: Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform
Presentation of Slovenian Firefighting in Ukraine
The Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, organized in Kyiv on 24 August 2026 by the First Lady of Ukraine, Ms. Olena Zelenska, focused this year on various aspects of resilience that characterize individual countries and societies. In addition to the First Ladies of Estonia, Sirje Karis; Finland, Suzanne Innes-Stubb; Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė; Romania, Mirabela Grădinaru; Serbia, Tamara Vučić; and Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, the event was attended in person by Dr. Aleš Musar, spouse of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar. Other distinguished guests joined via video link. The summit took place in the historic center of Kyiv, at the millennium-old Saint Sophia Cathedral, on the day Ukraine celebrated the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its independence.
Publish date Ukraine,
The Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, organized in Kyiv on 24 August 2026 by the First Lady of Ukraine, Ms. Olena Zelenska, focused this year on various aspects of resilience that characterize individual countries and societies. In addition to the First Ladies of Estonia, Sirje Karis; Finland, Suzanne Innes-Stubb; Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė; Romania, Mirabela Grădinaru; Serbia, Tamara Vučić; and Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, the event was attended in person by Dr. Aleš Musar, spouse of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar. Other distinguished guests joined via video link. The summit took place in the historic center of Kyiv, at the millennium-old Saint Sophia Cathedral, on the day Ukraine celebrated the 35th anniversary of the restoration of its independence.
Volunteer firefighting is Slovenia’s unique contribution to the global vocabulary of resilience. With more than 175,000 members—from children to veterans—organized in 1,333 volunteer fire brigades united under the Firefighting Association of Slovenia, Slovenian firefighting is a unique phenomenon on a global scale and a source of great national pride.
Nearly 40,000 active volunteer firefighters, ready at all times to protect lives and property, form a cornerstone of Slovenia’s civil protection and rescue system. The tradition of Slovenian volunteer fire brigades began 170 years ago and has always represented far more than firefighting alone. Fire stations served as centers of cultural life and guardians of the Slovenian language, which was used as the command language in firefighting decades before it was first employed in military units.
During the well-received presentation of Slovenian firefighting, Dr. Musar also announced that Slovenian volunteer fire brigades had collected a donation of equipment within just a few days, which will be delivered to their colleagues in Ukraine. Special applause was given to representatives of Slovenian firefighters, Ms. Neža Strmole and Mr. Anže Bitenc, whom Dr. Musar introduced to the distinguished guests and the large audience gathered in the historic Saint Sophia complex in central Kyiv.
Slovenian volunteer firefighting has been given its own special chapter in the "Dictionary of Resilience", a publication released on the occasion of the Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.
Video highlights of Dr. Musar's presentation
Speech by Dr. Musar in English
Dear Olena, colleagues, your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen!
How do you speak about resilience in Ukraine, a country which has become a very embodiment of this term? Humbly. Yet with pride, because the Slovenian contribution to the vocabulary of resilience is something we are truly proud of voluntary firefighting.
In fact, in Slovenian we don’t even mention “voluntary”. When you say “gasilci”, voluntary is assumed and you have to emphasise specially if that’s their job and say “poklicni gasilci”.
Standing together when a disaster strikes is a mark of a strong community. Being prepared and organised for saving lives and property is a mark of planned resilience. But voluntary firefighting societies in Slovenia were always much more than that. Slovenia, like Ukraine, was for centuries part of foreign empires. In fact, Western Ukraine and Slovenia were for about 150 years even in the same, Austrian empire. Preserving language was a defining characteristic of Slovenian national identity. Slovenian was a command language in firefighting decades before it was first used in the military. Fire departments were not just garages for fire engines but centres of cultural life in the villages, organised by the individual voluntary firefighting societies which are still the core and the base of the activities joined together under the umbrella of the Slovenian Firefighters Association.
In happier times, when we will be composing a vocabulary of entertainment, Slovenian contribution will most likely be firefighters’ party. This is organised annually by each of the over 1300 voluntary firefighting societies. And these are the main village parties of the year, popular in the cities as well. In fact, my own village will have it this Friday.
Today, there are over 170.000 members of Firefighters Association, from children to veterans, and that represents over 8 % of the total population of Slovenia. In matters of minutes, firefighters are where they are needed. Just a few weeks ago, a remote farm in the mountains caught fire. In 20 minutes, there were firefighters from 6 neighbouring villages. 37.000 active voluntary firefighters are prepared at any time to fight disasters on their own or as a part of the state system which includes professional firefighters’ brigades, Civil Protection, medical staff, police and the army, when needed. In two thirds of the cases, it is not about the fire. The system is activated when any kind of a disaster strikes.
When speaking about resilience in Slovenia, two words suffice: voluntary firefighting. When speaking about the firefighters, one word is enough: solidarity. When we started planning the attendance at the Summit, our firefighters asked the firefighting societies for donations of equipment for Ukrainian colleagues. In a few days, enough was collected to fill a van which will bring equipment that State Emergency Services of Ukraine will receive and direct to firefighters in Chernihiv. Today there are with me Neža Strmole, international cooperation adviser at the Slovenian Firefighters Association, and Anže Bitenc, Assistant Commander of the Association. Neža and Anže, will you please show yourselves? If you want to see an image of Slovenian resilience, look at them. And if you want to see the faces of Slovenian solidarity – there they are.
Thank you. Djakuju.