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From February 22 to March 20, the “Angels of Kharkivshchina” exhibition is on display in Ghent, dedicated to the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The opening took place at the Church of Saint Salvator in Ghent, bringing together members of the Ukrainian community and concerned Belgian citizens, who came to honor the memory of Ukrainian children killed as a result of Russian aggression.
The opening began with a memorial service. During the event, a guest from Kharkiv, the exhibition’s initiator Tetiana Matyash-Myrna—a mother of 11-year-old Mark, who was killed during a Russian shelling of Kharkiv in 2024—gave a speech. Their apartment was hit by an aerial bomb (FAB).
“This exhibition is about children who had rights, went to school, planned holidays, imagined who they would become when they grew up. But they will never grow up; they were killed by the Russian war.
Silence is a form of consent.
This exhibition is about the responsibility to see, the responsibility to call things by their true names. This tragedy is a challenge not only for Ukraine, but for Europe as well,” — Tetiana Matyash-Myrna said in her address.
The exhibition tells the tragic stories of children from Kharkiv city and region whose lives were cut short by Russian attacks on civilians. Each story is not only a testimony of a war crime but also a reminder to the world of the price Ukraine is paying.
The initiative for the exhibition was led by Tetiana Matyash-Myrna. The project was implemented by the Kharkiv Human Rights Group NGO and the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office. In Ghent, the exhibition is organized by the Anti-Discrimination Center “Memorial”–Brussels with the support of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Parish in Ghent and Kerkfabriek Sint Salvatorkerk.
First presented in Kharkiv, the exhibition is now traveling across Europe to honor the memory of the children who died, draw international attention to Russia’s war crimes, and call for investigation of each one.
The “Angels of Kharkivshchina” exhibition can be visited at Sint-Salvator Heilig Kerst (Sleepstraat 216, 9000 Ghent) daily from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM until March 20. Entrance is free.