Author:
Yuliia Didenko
On October 17, in Santiago, the capital of Chile, an exhibition opened that brought together two tragedies: one from the past and one from the present. At the Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos), established to commemorate the victims of the Chilean dictatorship, a multimedia exhibition titled No hay niños, hay gente (“No children, but people”) was inaugurated.
The exhibition tells the story of one of the gravest war crimes of our time—the unlawful deportation and forced displacement of thousands of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. It will run until November 30, 2025, with free admission. Details are available on the Museum’s website.
The exhibition tells the story of one of the gravest war crimes of our time—the unlawful deportation and forced displacement of thousands of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. It will run until November 30, 2025, with free admission. Details are available on the Museum’s website.
The choice of venue was no coincidence. The Museum of Memory and Human Rights preserves the stories of how a dictatorship destroys human lives. Now, in its halls, the voices of Ukrainian children can be heard. The voices of those whom Russia has kidnapped, deported, and tries to strip them of their identity.
What the Exhibition “No hay niños, hay gente” Is About
The exhibition explores the problem of deportation through art. It combines children’s drawings and documentary testimonies.
Visitors can see:
Visitors can see:
- Installations featuring drawings by Ukrainian children on the topic of war;
- Animated films Mariupol. A Hundred Nights by director Sofiia Melnyk and There Are No Children, There Are People by Tetiana Troitska, featuring music by DakhaBrakha;
- Documentary video stories from the Voices of Children Foundation and the President of Ukraine’s initiative, Bring Kids Back UA;
- The short film Generation, created by teenagers who have lived through war.
At the opening, the speakers included Yurii Diudin, Ambassador of Ukraine to Chile; Vladyslav Troitskyi, director; Oksana Pysarieva, psychologist from the Voices of Children Foundation; and María Fernanda García Irribarren, director of the Museum.
This project is an attempt to look into the heart of war through the eyes of children. The exhibition builds sensitivity to how war changes the very concept of childhood and confronts the viewer with a question: What are we, as a society, ready to do so that these children do not remain a mere statistic?
Children themselves also shared their stories—Anna from Kharkiv and Marta from occupied Donetsk. Marta grew up in occupied Donetsk, studied remotely at a Ukrainian school, and waited until she turned 18 to move to Kyiv. She now studies at the Kyiv National Linguistic University and dreams of becoming a linguist. Anna, a sixteen-year-old girl from Kharkiv, is the heroine of one of the video stories about childhood during war.
We gathered in a place that embodies memory, truth, and justice to speak about one of the most horrific crimes of our time: the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia. They are not ‘collateral victims’, they are people with dignity and dreams. Every drawing and every voice presented in this exhibition is a testimony of pain, strength, hope, and resilience. Bringing every child home is a moral mission for the whole world,
The opening concluded with a musical performance by DakhTrio, blending Ukrainian motifs with poetry by a Chilean author.
Bringing Children Home Is Only the Beginning
Oksana Pysarieva, psychologist at the Voices of Children Foundation, drew attention to the fact that the return of deported children is not the end of the story, but its beginning.
Bringing children back to Ukraine is a complex task. But what’s even harder is giving them a chance to live their own lives again. This project is a gentle look into their trauma, acceptance of their experience, and respect for what they have lived through,
María Fernanda García Irribarren, director of the Museum, emphasized that the memory of past tragedies only has meaning if it helps prevent crimes in the present.
Today, we speak in unison with Ukrainian children, their families, and the entire nation fighting for their right to live in peace. Art has the power to restore humanity even after the deepest suffering, and through such initiatives, we form a culture of memory founded on empathy, dignity, and truth,
Why It Matters to Talk About Deportation
What is happening to Ukrainian children in the occupied territories and in Russia is a systemic criminal policy by the Kremlin aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity. These actions violate the Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The International Criminal Court has recognized the deportation of Ukrainian children as a war crime.
Over 1.6 million Ukrainian children currently remain in territories occupied by Russia, and tens of thousands have been illegally deported to Russia. Some are sent to so-called “re-education camps,” where they are forced to give up the Ukrainian language, stripped of their citizenship, and prepared to take part in future Russian wars.
Over 1.6 million Ukrainian children currently remain in territories occupied by Russia, and tens of thousands have been illegally deported to Russia. Some are sent to so-called “re-education camps,” where they are forced to give up the Ukrainian language, stripped of their citizenship, and prepared to take part in future Russian wars.
The exhibition in Santiago seeks to show the world the scale of the tragedy and unite societies around a common call: to bring Ukrainian children home. The project was implemented with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation. Partners of the exhibition include the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago, the Embassy of Ukraine in Chile, the GogolFest team, the Voices of Children Foundation, and the President’s initiative Bring Kids Back UA.
At the Voices of Children Foundation, we work with children and families affected by the war, including those who have been returned from deportation and occupation. Our experience shows that recovery after such trauma takes time, professional support, and understanding.
Help us share the truth about what is happening to Ukrainian children. The world must hear their voices. The voices that Russia is trying to silence.
At the Voices of Children Foundation, we work with children and families affected by the war, including those who have been returned from deportation and occupation. Our experience shows that recovery after such trauma takes time, professional support, and understanding.
Help us share the truth about what is happening to Ukrainian children. The world must hear their voices. The voices that Russia is trying to silence.
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