Exhibition “War Diaries: Unheard Voices of Ukrainian Children” Opens in New York

On May 29, 2024, the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York opened the exhibition “War Diaries: Unheard Voices of Ukrainian Children.” The exhibition presents 14 works by children who use various means to share their experiences of living during the war. The exhibition was organized by visionary curator Khrystyna Khranovska.

Eight of the stories presented belong to the beneficiaries of the Children of Heroes Charity Fund. These include fragments of their diaries, letters to their deceased parents, drawings, audio recordings, and other personal items.

“More than 9,000 children have already joined our Fund, and each of them has lost one of their parents to the war. These are 9,000 stories filled with unbearable pain and sadness. This exhibition is not only a way to draw attention to the horrors of war experienced by Ukrainian children but also a call to the international community to help protect their future. We need to hear these voices and act accordingly to ensure peace and security for future generations,” said Tetyana Novytska, CEO of the Children of Heroes Charity Fund.

The opening ceremony was attended by Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsia, along with the heads of diplomatic missions in New York from France, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Germany, and other countries.

“You see fourteen stories of broken and maimed lives of Ukrainian children. With this project, we want to remind the whole world that the war in Ukraine is still ongoing, and millions of innocent citizens, including children, are suffering from it. Instead of writing diaries about love and their favorite things, they describe the horrors of a brutal war in children’s words,” said project organizer Khrystyna Khranovska.

In August 2023, the exhibition was displayed at the Amsterdam City Hall, in January 2024 in Strasbourg, and in February and March in Berlin.