On August 24, 2024, on the Independence Day of Ukraine, the VDNKh Exhibition Center in Kyiv hosted the grand opening of the global photo project “Children of War” organized by the famous French artist and photographer JR.
Children of War is a project initiated by the renowned entrepreneur and founder of the Be Next charity foundation Sofia Chkonia, and realized through the lenses of talented Ukrainian photographers Marina Karpiy and Sasha Mazur. It is a testament to the resilience, strength, and vulnerability of children caught in the middle of the war.
Preparations for the project, which aims to draw attention to the plight of children affected by russian aggression, took more than a year. About 20 children who participated in the project recalled all the events that happened to them during the war and shared these memories through photos.
Together with representatives of other funds, volunteers, and families who participated in the shooting, volunteers from the Children of Heroes CF placed 325 photo portraits of children on 400 square meters of exhibition space.
In parallel with the event in Kyiv, on the same day in Brussels, in the Fiftieth Anniversary Park, a screening of these portraits was organized for a foreign audience, which helped to draw the attention of Europeans to the fate of Ukrainian children whose happy childhood was overshadowed by the loss of their parents.
We believe that this exhibition is not just a display of children’s photographs. Through the universal language of photography, we are sending a powerful message to the world: Ukrainian children need our protection and our help.
