The world-famous “Angels of Ukraine” memorial installation, which honors the memory of Ukrainian children killed in Russian attacks, has opened in the Santa Clara County Administrative Building in California. The exhibit was presented by Branch 107 of the Union of Ukrainian Women of America (UNWLA).
Iryna Anpilogova, President of UNWLA Branch 107, told VM about this.
“Our goal is to bring the truth about the real cost of war to the local community and show the pain that Ukrainians experience every day. This memorial also shows the true face of the Russians who deliberately kill civilians, including children. The growing numbers accompanying the “angels” are a terrible testament to the scale of this violence. We want every visitor to realize the magnitude of this loss and keep these shattered lives in their memory,” says Iryna Anpilogova, President of UNWLA Branch 107.
The installation was reportedly created by artist Natasha Mitso together with Svitlana Peshterianu and other Ukrainian volunteers. Each hand-made crocheted angel symbolizes one child killed by the Russian army. The exhibition also includes a poster listing the cities that the “angels” have already visited, with the number of children killed at the time of the installation’s arrival at each location listed next to it.
“When I was preparing the Angels for the trip to America, there were already 629 of them, and now there are 644… How many more of our children will be killed? My heart breaks every day, and preparing for each next action is getting harder. I understand that each of my Angels is the broken life of a future doctor, artist, engineer, or just a person who could make someone’s life happy. The world should know and see!”, says artist Natasha Mitso.
It was also noted that the numbers grow with each new stop of the installation – a painful testimony to the scale of Russian violence. The project is part of the volunteer initiative “Women of Ukraine”, which aims to honor the memory of the little victims of the war and remind the world of Russia’s crimes against Ukrainian children.
Since 2022, “Angels of Ukraine” have visited Slovakia, Cyprus, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Malta, and the United Kingdom, uniting communities around the world in grief and solidarity. The exhibit was brought to San Jose with the support of the Office of Supervisor Otto Lee.
Visitors are invited to light small electric candles next to the exhibit – a silent gesture of remembrance for the children whose lives were cut short by war.
The exhibit will be on display until the end of November at the following location: Santa Clara County Building 70 W Hedding St, 1st Floor (near Isaac Newton Senter Auditorium), San Jose, CA 95110. Exhibition hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Photo: UNWLA Branch 107
Author: Inna Mikhno