A large-scale “Bring Kids Back” installation featuring 20,000 teddy bears was presented in Olympia, the capital of Washington state. Each bear symbolizes a Ukrainian child who, according to Ukrainian authorities, was forcibly taken by Russia. The event brought together diplomats, government representatives, civic organizations, and members of the Ukrainian community. The installation near the State Capitol was organized by Ukraine Defense Support in partnership with Toloka and Shield of Freedom.
This was reported by the Ukraine Defense Support and Shield of Freedom.
The opening ceremony was attended by Jim Kopriva, representing the Office of the Governor of Washington state; former Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards; Honorary Consul of Ukraine Valeriia Holoborodko; Honorary Consul of Poland Teresa Indelak Davis; Honorary Consul of Lithuania Rasa Raisys; as well as representatives of Ukrainian civic and religious organizations Oleksandr Savchuk, Vitaliy Piekhotin, chaplain, Servants of Compassion, Tetiana Novokhatska, co-founder Volia Fund. Statements from Honorary Consul of Estonia Paul Raidna and Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen were also presented during the event. Олександр Савчук, капелан Servants of Compassion Віталій Пєхотін та співзасновниця Volia Fund Тетяна Новохатська. Під час заходу також були оприлюднені заяви Почесного консула Естонії Пола Райдни та мера Такоми Андерса Ібсена.
In an address to participants, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson emphasized the importance of drawing attention to the fate of Ukrainian children.
“Your public art installation is a somber reminder of an ongoing crime: Russia’s unlawful detention and forced transfer of Ukrainian children. Thousands of children have been forcibly separated from their homes and loved ones. It is difficult even to comprehend the scale of this cruelty,” the governor said.
Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen emphasized that the installation helps people understand the scale of the tragedy.
“Placing these 20,000 bears here, in the shadow of our Capitol, gives each of us an opportunity to feel the weight of that number, to prevent these children from becoming mere statistics, and to remind us that their safe return must remain one of our highest priorities,” his statement reads.
The organizers emphasized that Washington state became an important stop on the installation’s tour. According to them, the state is home to a large Ukrainian American community, and more than 26,000 Ukrainians have found refuge there since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The organizers of the initiative say the project is intended to remind American society and the international community of the need to bring Ukrainian children home and to keep the issue among the priorities of the international agenda.
The project was first presented in Washington, D.C., in April of this year during the Ukraine Action Summit. It was created by Razom for Ukraine together with the American Coalition for Ukraine. Throughout the summer, the installation was displayed in several California cities and is now continuing its tour across the United States.
