Last week in Kyiv, an exhibition was held in memory of child athletes who died from Russian attacks. The event was organized by the National Sports Committee and gathered participants from various spheres of life – relatives of the deceased, representatives of public organizations, and local residents.
During the exhibition, unique icons created by artist Oleksandr Klymenko were used to honor the memory of more than 22 child athletes against the backdrop of worn-out shell boxes and fragments of destroyed vehicles.
During the memorial ceremony at St. Sophia's Cathedral, the choir named after Mykola Lysenko performed songs.
Among the named angel athletes were Mark Matiash-Myrnyi, Artem Mardzyavko, Karina Bakhur, Kyrylo Kulyk, Matviy Marchenko, Oleksiy Petrenko, Kateryna Lysenko, Maksym and Anastasia Symanyuk, Denys Melnyk, Volodymyr Rudakov, Roman Myasoiedov, Trokhym Bychko and others.
Unfortunately, this exhibition became yet another reminder of the damage of war and the losses that young talented athletes and their families bear. It underscored the importance of peace and reconciliation in our society, especially when it comes to protecting the future of young Ukrainians.