A project, which will commemorate the children who have died as a result of the war in Ukraine, is set to take place this Friday as the invasion reaches its first year.
The event will be centred around its ‘tree of remembrance’ which is to be decorated with handmade resin angels, symbolising the young children who lost their lives.
Anna Musiienko, 39, the Ukrainian lawyer and artist who created the event, said: “When a mother and father lose a child, it’s a very big tragedy which lasts their whole life.
“So, I decided we must remember these children, and angels were what came to mind.”
The angels, which have been decorated in blue, white, and yellow to reflect Ukraine’s national flag, will be given to visitors to put them up on the tree.
The event, which has been sponsored and publicised by the council, takes place at the Winter Gardens on 24 February and will last for a week.
Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed, who has been involved in bringing the project to life, said: “I think it will foster better links and also send a message that Sheffield is a city of sanctuary.
“We will stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they continue their fight against the dictatorship and tyranny of Vladimir Putin.”
War casualties, particularly among young children, have continued to rise as a result of the constant attacks by the Russian offensive.
The latest data from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), has revealed over 1,200 children have been killed or injured since the beginning of the war, with the real number estimated to be much higher.
Ms Musiienko, who fled the war with her 11-year-old son back in April 2022, added: “One day, I sat on the bus and listened to news about the statistics of how many children had died, and I cried for a long time.”
Geraldine Sayers, 52, who has hosted the family since April, said: “We’ve been so impressed with Anna’s determination to forge a life here.
“She is amazingly talented, creative, and artistic, and I think that art has been a way of expressing herself and find peace.”
The event will also feature a map of Ukraine in which portraits of some of these children will be placed along with their personal story, highlighting the fact that children have died across the country and not just in cities.
Elena Mandrik, a researcher at The University of Sheffield and former chair at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), said: “People always think and talk about big cities but, in reality, there are many destroyed villages where children have died.”
This project comes at a time where, as the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s annual digital news report has found, people are increasingly selectively avoiding news such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This is something which is reflected in the sharp dip of news output relating to the war.
Ms Mandrik added: “If a year ago everyone was shocked, terrified and willing to stand for a good cause, then after a year, the war doesn’t seem to be that shocking anymore.
“It’s not only a war where the military take part, civilians and their children continue to die.”
