Author:
Anastasia Poleshko
The bilingual Ukrainian-English illustrated book "War Through the Voices of Children", which contains about a hundred children's quotes about the war, was presented at the exhibition in Austria.
A spacious hall and a dozen exhibition stands, around which many visitors have gathered. A young spectator stops near one of them. Her attention is focused on a soft pink spot on a gray background. It is a painted dollhouse with toys: a rocking horse, scattered cubes with numbers, and a teddy bear.
And a little lower, in the corner, there are words of eight-year-old Valeria – a girl of the same age or a little older. A girl who lives thousands of kilometers away in Ukraine.
And a little lower, in the corner, there are words of eight-year-old Valeria – a girl of the same age or a little older. A girl who lives thousands of kilometers away in Ukraine.
These are not my toys, I did not choose them, I did not give them names. I want mine, which will be mine alone,
This quote and its illustration are excerpts from the book “War Through the Voices of Children” which inspired the opening of an exhibition in the city hall of the Austrian town of Lustenau. The idea to hold the event came from Ukrainians living in Austria.
The exhibition, at which our book was presented, was also called “War Through the Voices of Children.” Its goal was to draw public attention to the events in Ukraine and the conditions in which thousands of Ukrainian children are forcibly growing up.
The exhibition, at which our book was presented, was also called “War Through the Voices of Children.” Its goal was to draw public attention to the events in Ukraine and the conditions in which thousands of Ukrainian children are forcibly growing up.
Here are some quotes that were placed on the stands:
Mom, what if all the Ukrainians hide? Will they [the russians] come looking for us, and there will be a war all over the world?
Good rockets fly into space, and bad ones fly into houses and people... and cars,
What do you want for your birthday? — I want to be free
The exhibition organizers purchased several copies of the books for donations so that visitors could look through them.
The book created by your organization is shocking, impressive, and leaves you speechless. It makes you want to shout about it to the whole world. Thanks to friends and partners, we managed to find a wonderful way to tell people who are far from the war and hear about it only from TV screens what it is like to live your childhood in this difficult time,
The exhibition will last until February 24. This is not the first exhibition organized by our friends from abroad. Previously, it was shown in the Bregenz city administration during the visit of the Ukrainian delegation led by Vasyl Khymynets, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Austria, as well as in one of the schools in Hohenems.
The book "War Through the Voices of Children" was prepared by our foundation in collaboration with the OVO literary agency for the first anniversary of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine – February 22, 2023. Subsequently, the copyright was transferred to one of the best English-language publishing houses – HarperCollins Publishers.
"War Through the Voices of Children" is read in different countries of the world. Immediately after its release, the book was supported by the Federation of European Publishers. This was just the beginning. Later, the publication visited the walls of the OSCE headquarters, a meeting of the European Parliament's Cultural Committee, the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the Warsaw Security Forum, a meeting of the Dutch parliamentarians in The Hague, and now also an exhibition in Austria.
We do not sell the book, but you can order it for a donation here. Part of the proceeds from each copy will be used to provide psychological support to Ukrainian children who have experienced war.
Photo by Andrii Savinov.
The book "War Through the Voices of Children" was prepared by our foundation in collaboration with the OVO literary agency for the first anniversary of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine – February 22, 2023. Subsequently, the copyright was transferred to one of the best English-language publishing houses – HarperCollins Publishers.
"War Through the Voices of Children" is read in different countries of the world. Immediately after its release, the book was supported by the Federation of European Publishers. This was just the beginning. Later, the publication visited the walls of the OSCE headquarters, a meeting of the European Parliament's Cultural Committee, the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the Warsaw Security Forum, a meeting of the Dutch parliamentarians in The Hague, and now also an exhibition in Austria.
We do not sell the book, but you can order it for a donation here. Part of the proceeds from each copy will be used to provide psychological support to Ukrainian children who have experienced war.
Photo by Andrii Savinov.
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