Facebook Groups for Ukrainians in Slovakia
Social media is a key source of up-to-the-minute information for anyone who has moved to another country: it is where news, contacts for reliable tradespeople and housing and job adverts appear first. Among the Ukrainian and Russian-speaking community in Slovakia the most popular platform is still Facebook — there are more than fifteen active groups.
Below is an overview of the main groups, with the topics they cover, the language people post in and the conditions for joining. Membership numbers change constantly, so check the current figure in the group itself.
The largest Ukrainian communities in Slovakia
Спілка українців в Словаччині (Union of Ukrainians in Slovakia)
One of the biggest communities, with tens of thousands of members. The group helps with practically every question Ukrainians in Slovakia run into — both those who have lived here for years and those who have only just received temporary protection status.
Typical topics: where to start after you arrive, which office to go to, how to find housing and use the state compensation programme, where to look for work, how to get a child into nursery or school, which documents you need to obtain and extend your residence, how to open an account at a Slovak bank, which transport operators are more reliable, how to work out your utility bills and where to find a good garage.
Members share personal experience and contacts, offer services, discuss buying and selling cars and city parking, and post rental adverts and event announcements. Adverts from transport operators are paid here — ask the administrators what a post costs.
The group is private: you need the administrators’ approval to join. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Українці у Словаччині / Ukrajinci na Slovensku (Ukrainians in Slovakia)
The group was set up so that Ukrainians who already live here, or are only planning to move to Slovakia, can exchange information, and to cover events in the life of the community.
Discussions cover residence paperwork, reviews of Slovak tour operators, accounting services and current news for people with temporary protection status, along with everyday topics: how to find or change your family doctor, enrol a child at school and file a tax return.
Anyone can join. The rules allow advertising by arrangement with the administrators. The community also has a Telegram channel and Instagram accounts. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Українці в Братиславі / Ukrajinci v Bratislave (Ukrainians in Bratislava)
An online community where people share advice and personal experience and post offers of services and job vacancies. The aim of the group is to build a mutual-help community that makes life in Slovakia easier to understand.
Here you can find addresses of shops selling Ukrainian products, repair centres for phones and laptops, garages, and information about jobs and casual work. Members post contacts for operators who carry passengers and parcels to Ukraine and neighbouring countries, as well as ride-share adverts — if you need to travel at short notice, it is worth scrolling through the recent feed.
The format also suits everyday tasks: simply post that you are looking for a tradesperson or a team — for cosmetic redecoration, laying laminate flooring, or repairing furniture or a washing machine.
The group is public. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Українська спільнота Братислава: робота в Братиславі, робота в Словаччині (Ukrainian community Bratislava: work in Bratislava, work in Slovakia)
A public group. The main topics are everyday life in Bratislava, housing, transport, study, passenger transport and parcel delivery to and from Ukraine, vacancies and casual work, beauty services, after-school clubs, preparing residence documents, and the services of photographers, notaries, accountants and personal trainers. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Українці в Словаччині: робота, навчання, спорт, туризм (Ukrainians in Slovakia: work, study, sport, tourism)
A public group for Ukrainians who work and live in Slovakia to talk and help one another. Posts are in Ukrainian, Russian and Slovak.
Groups for parents
Мамы в Братиславе (Mothers in Bratislava)
A group for mothers and parents in Bratislava and beyond. Discussions cover food, housing, beauty professionals, medicines, tailoring, sport, doctors, childbirth, nurseries, schools and universities, documents, holidays, pets, Slovak projects for Ukrainians and volunteer organisations.
Any member can ask a question: where to buy inexpensive bed linen, which manicurist does good work, where to have trousers taken up, which dry cleaner cleans carpets, how to see a dentist with acute pain, how much a gynaecologist’s appointment costs, what sports clubs there are for children.
In the group you can give away, hand on, sell, swap or buy items in good condition: clothes, kitchenware, toys, pushchairs, sports equipment, bicycles and furniture. Job offers are posted here too — for a nanny or a housekeeper, for example — along with rental adverts, most often when someone is moving out and, by arrangement with the owner, is looking for a replacement tenant.
The community sees itself as international, so the main language is Russian as the one most people understand, but you can post and comment in Ukrainian as well.
The group is private: you have to apply, answer the questions on the form and state which city you live in if it is not in your profile. Commercial advertising is allowed for a fee, and the administrators donate the money to charity — ask them for the current rate.
Допомога мамам з дітьми в Братиславі (Help for mothers with children in Bratislava)
A small public group with useful contacts and adverts for mothers. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Regional groups and communities about life in the country
Словаччина для всіх реально (Slovakia for everyone, really)
A large general-interest group about life in Slovakia. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Жизнь в Словакии (Life in Slovakia)
A group for people who want to know more about the country. It covers Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, Liptovský Mikuláš, Košice, Nitra, Komárno, Prešov, Poprad, Trnava, Žilina and Trenčín. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Работа и жизнь в Словакии (Work and life in Slovakia)
A public information group. It covers Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, Nitra, Púchov, Trnava, Žilina, Považská Bystrica and Trenčín. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
СЛОВАКИЯ: Братислава, Кошице, Нитра, Прешов, Жилина, Банска Бистрица, Трнава (SLOVAKIA: Bratislava, Košice, Nitra, Prešov, Žilina, Banská Bystrica, Trnava)
A public group. The main topics are visas, new vacancies, contacts for transport operators, health and beauty services, photographers, and help with residence paperwork and university applications. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Словацько-українська спільнота (Slovak-Ukrainian community)
A group for conversation and mutual help. Advertising services or goods is allowed no more than once a fortnight, except for transport adverts. The group is private and needs the administrators’ approval. Posts are in Ukrainian, Russian, Slovak and English.
Словакия. Полезные контакты (Slovakia. Useful contacts)
A small private community for sharing tried-and-tested contacts across every area of life in Slovakia. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Groups for finding work, services and business contacts
Послуги від біженців в Словаччині (Services from refugees in Slovakia)
A public group set up to support Ukrainians in Slovakia: members offer their own services and look for jobs and casual work. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
СЛОВАКИЯ для бизнеса и предпринимателей (SLOVAKIA for business and entrepreneurs)
A public group for finding business partners and discussing commercial ideas, the pitfalls of running a business and questions of legislation. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
If you are looking for work systematically rather than only through social media adverts, our overview of work for Ukrainians in Slovakia will be useful.
Support and volunteer groups
Група взаємопідтримки для біженців в Словаччині (Mutual support group for refugees in Slovakia)
A public group for open conversation on any subject: members share experience, discuss problems and support one another. Posts are in Ukrainian and Russian.
Ruky pre Ukrajinu / Руки за Україну (Hands for Ukraine)
A public group set up by Slovaks to help people from Ukraine. Posts are in Ukrainian, Russian and Slovak.
Pomoc pre Ukrajinu (Help for Ukraine)
Another Slovak community helping Ukrainians. Posts are in Ukrainian, Russian and Slovak.
For the current official rules and deadlines on temporary protection status, it is better to check our article on the current state of temporary protection in Slovakia and the Ministry of the Interior website, rather than posts in the groups.
How to find information in the groups
- Search first, ask second. Before posting, check whether the question has been answered before: use the group search (the magnifying glass icon in the top right of the page).
- Hashtags. Add a few short hashtags to your own posts — for example #отдам, #работа, #стоматолог. They mean “giving away”, “work” and “dentist”. Tagging makes your post easier for you and for others to find later.
- Notifications. Turn notifications on for one or two key groups and off for the rest, or your feed will quickly become unreadable.
- Save posts. The “save post” function is more convenient than trying to remember a tradesperson’s contact details later.
Safety: what to watch out for
Facebook groups are an unofficial source, and fraudsters know about them. A few simple rules:
- Housing. Do not transfer a deposit for a flat you have not seen in person or at least over a video call, and do not send money “to reserve it” before the agreement is signed.
- Work. A genuine employer does not ask you to pay to be hired. Offers paid “in an envelope” leave you without insurance or holiday — we have covered what you should know about contracts separately.
- Documents. Do not post photographs of your residence card, passport or bank details in open groups, even partly covered.
- Legal and tax advice. Comments from members are not professional advice. Check official information on the websites of the Ministry of the Interior and the Financial Administration.
- Second-hand purchases. Specialist sites are safer for transactions — see our roundup of online marketplaces in Slovakia.
Frequently asked questions
Which group should I join first after moving?
Start with one large general community (for example «Спілка українців в Словаччині» or «Українці у Словаччині») and one local group for your city. That is enough to keep up with what matters without drowning in the feed.
Why has my request to join not been approved?
Usually because the questions on the application form were left blank or the profile does not state a city. Answer all the questions when you apply and say where you live.
Can I advertise my own services?
In some groups you can do so free of charge, with a limit on how often; in others only for a fee, by arrangement with the administrators. Each group has its own rules, published in a pinned post.
How far can I trust information from the groups?
As a source of personal experience and contacts, quite far. As a source of legal information, no: the rules change and old posts stay in the feed. Check anything to do with documents, deadlines and money on official websites.
Are there alternatives to Facebook?
Yes, many communities have Telegram channels, and some subjects — housing, work, second-hand purchases — are easier to deal with on specialist Slovak sites.
Important. The information in this article has been collected from publicly available sources online and is accurate at the time of publication. Conditions and rules change. Before making any decisions, check the current information and consult a relevant specialist.