Along the paths of the steppes: from the Crimean slopes to the expanses of Luhansk — creative installations about the environment and its role in shaping children’s well-being were presented at the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen

  • Summits
19.09.2024

The ‘Safe Environment for Children’ dimension of the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen was presented through four key formats: a creative installation, special gifts for the guests, a Summit newspaper, and podcasts with young people. Notably, five pavilions were created, representing Ukrainian protected areas that are suffering due to the war in various parts of Ukraine, from Luhansk to Crimea. This dimension was presented in partnership with UNICEF in Ukraine, the Cultural Platform Zakarpattia NGO, and Ukrainian youth.

Creative installation

On the grounds of the National Conservation Area ‘St. Sophia of Kyiv’ five pavilions of the creative installation were set up. Each pavilion featured video works, visual art, and audio records created as a part of the Cultural Platform Zakarpattia NGO’s creative programs, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine. Their aim was not only to showcase Ukraine’s biodiversity but also to highlight the inseparable connection between the natural world and the national-cultural identity of the younger generation.

The installation focused on protected areas such as:

  • Crimean Nature Reserve;
  • Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve named after F.E. Falz-Fein in the Kherson region;
  • Grand Meadow National Nature Park on Khortytsia Island;
  • Ukrainian Steppe Nature Reserve in the Donetsk region;
  • Luhansk Nature Reserve.

This dimension allowed visitors to immerse themselves in the landscapes of each reserve while also showcasing works by contemporary ceramic artists who have managed to preserve traditional clay-working practices. Clay is now becoming a rare material, as its extraction sites have been affected by war.

Ukrainian youth developed prototypes of large and small cultural artefacts that symbolise a new interaction between society and nature.

Gifts

Special symbolic gifts were created exclusively for the Summit. Accesories in the form of plants from the respective conservation areas carried hidden meanings. Each flower was crafted from Ukrainian clay and hand-painted by masters of Opishnya ceramics.

Among these flowers:

  • Pulsatilla Taurica — a plant that emerged in the exhibition as an allegory of war;
  • Centaurea Taliewii — a symbol of the memory of the wild steppe of Askania;
  • Ornithogalum Boucheanum — an embodiment of resilience and harmony;
  • Stipa Graniticola — a representation of growing up despite all challenges and trials;
  • Calophaca Wolgarica — a symbol the future flora of the Ukrainian steppe.

Through these gifts, guests have contributed to the preservation of Ukraine’s natural heritage, becoming ambassadors for its protection around the world.

Summit’s newspaper

In each pavilion, guests found newspapers prepared specifically for the Summit. They highlighted young people’s demands for nature conservation, explored the connection between the environment and mental resilience, and shared personal stories of Ukrainians from temporarily occupied nature reserves.

The materials were created to amplify the voices of young people who have been forcibly separated from their natural environment and cultural roots, and to identify pathways for collective action to preserve biodiversity for future generations.

Podcasts

As part of the ‘KONTENTA’ audiovisual studies project, five podcasts were recorded during the Summit. Each podcast focused on a different aspect of youth safety: during wartime, within the family, at school, in the digital space, and in the environmental dimension. Experts and guests, together with young people, discussed how society can create a safe environment for the comprehensive development of the next generation and contribute to strengthening their resilience at all levels.

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