Olesia Ostafiieva (born August 8, 1983, Donetsk, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian entrepreneur, PR specialist, media manager, and writer. She is the co-owner of the witch-themed bar “Lysa Hora” and the author of the book “Kira. The Way Back Home .”

Writing Career

In 2024, Ostafiieva published her autobiographical book “Kira. The Way Back Home”.

The book tells her personal story: she was nine months pregnant when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Just four days into the war, her maternity hospital in Kyiv region was bombed. Despite the travel ban on late-term pregnancies, she flew across the Atlantic and arrived in New York, where she actively participated in protests and talk shows in support of Ukraine. Over the course of her journey, she and her newborn daughter traveled 12 countries, 25 cities, and over 13,000 kilometers before finally returning to Kyiv.

In April 2024, the book was showcased at major international book fairs—the London Book Fair and the Leipzig Book Fair. Ostafiieva donates her book royalties to the Ukrainian charity “Voices of Children.”

On May 15, 2024, the official book launch took place at the ReadEat bookstore in Kyiv.

Journalism

In 2006, Ostafiieva moved to Kyiv, where she worked as a journalist for Ekonomicheskie Izvestia, Kyiv Weekly, and Expert, covering economic and regulatory policy issues.

In 2009, she transitioned into PR, becoming the press secretary to the Deputy Head of the Kyiv City Administration and later the Minister of Ecology. While working in the city administration, she also oversaw the Kyiv Charity Society municipal project.

In 2023, she was appointed editor-in-chief of the new technology media ProIT.

She is a regular contributor to NV, Ukrainska Pravda, and KyivVlada, writing expert columns on small business challenges, regulatory and tax policy, and issues related to occupied territories.

Ostafiieva is also a co-founder of the Journalistic Investigations Agency NGO and a participant in the Business StandUp project.

Entrepreneurship

In 2017, together with her friends, Ostafiieva opened the witch-themed bar “Lysa Hora” in Kyiv. The bar’s concept is based on the legend that Kyiv is the capital of witches, where religion and witchcraft have always coexisted. The venue celebrates pre-Christian traditions, shares stories about Ukrainian folklore passed down from ancestors, and offers Ukrainian cuisine with a touch of magic. The entrepreneurs recouped their investment within just eight months. Within two years, the bar was featured in several international travel guides as a must-visit spot in Kyiv.

In 2019, she and her partners launched a new venue called “LaGushka po-kyivsky,” later renamed “Khmelna Muza Art Bar.” The bar hosted literary, musical, and theatrical events.