Russia revealed its involvement in the abduction of 700,000 Ukrainian children (the forcible transfer of children from one ethnic group to another is considered genocide under Article 2 of the Genocide Convention).
These children’s fate is often unknown, with some being forcibly adopted into Russian families, without the ability to contact their parents. Their documents and identity are stripped of them, and the children are given new names. They are taught to fear and hate their homeland, and some are forced to join the Russian military’s war against Ukraine.
On August 24th, 2023 at the Daley Plaza, together with a group of volunteers, I pasted a photo installation “Russia Kidnaps Ukrainian Children Like me” made possible thanks to Inside Out project and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. To bring attention to this horrific matter, I photographed Ukrainian children that currently live in Chicago, inviting the viewer to picture the kind of children Russians are kidnapping since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Pasting portraits:
Thanks to a group of volunteers, consisting of Ukrainians living in Chicago community this project came about in just a matter of months.
Project sign:
Viewers were invited to look at the pictures of Ukrainian children in the form of large scale black and white portraits, and read the sign that explained the purpose of the project.
Interviews for inside out:
Inside Out provided beautiful large scale prints of my photos, and required a detailed description of the project, as well as interviews from volunteers involved.
Installation:
On the hottest summer day of the summer our group successfully pasted 58 portraits at the Daley plaza, while curious onlookers walked by.
Reactions:
Most passerby have not heard about the kidnappings, and were curious to read more about this issue. Most took pictures, read, looked at the portraits, and some even prayed for their safe return.
Art Direction Mila Ugryn
Project sign copy by Sofia Solimando
Photo & video Stas Dmytriv, Tonya Dmytriv, Yaryna Skrypets and Mila Ugryn