Eight children of Ukrainian service members, including fallen defenders and those who survived Russian captivity, visited the United States on a 10-day trip. They traveled to Chicago and Washington, met with members of the Ukrainian community and diplomats, visited museums, and took part in a joint prayer for children killed as a result of the war.
This was reported by Natalia Boyivka.
Eight girls and boys from different regions of Ukraine traveled to the United States. They are children of fallen service members, defenders who were held captive, and those who continue to defend Ukraine. The participants are children of service members from the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine, Azov. They were accompanied by Nataliia Beshta and active-duty service member Pavlo Kindii.
The idea of organizing an educational and recreational trip to the United States for the children was discussed during a meeting between representatives of the Ukrainian community and Ukraine's Consul General in Chicago, Kostiantyn Vorona. Following further consultations and coordination of details, preparations for the project began.
The project was carried out with the participation of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Illinois branch of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago, and representatives of the Protez Foundation and Revived Soldiers Ukraine charitable organizations.
In Chicago, the children visited the observation deck of the skyscraper formerly known as the John Hancock Building, which offers panoramic views of the city. Their itinerary also included a boat tour, a visit to the Harry Potter Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry. On Michigan Avenue, they visited the world's largest Starbucks location and also saw the house featured in the movie Home Alone.
Other activities included an evening walk around the city and a visit to the Six Flags amusement park.
A separate meeting was organized for the children at St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church. They spoke with the parish priest, Father Mykola Buriadnyk, and parishioners. They also met with Ukraine's Consul General in Chicago, Kostiantyn Vorona, at the consulate.
After their stay in Chicago, the group traveled to Washington. There, the children met with Ukraine's Chargé d'Affaires in the United States, Denys Senik, and former Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova.
In Washington, they visited several museums and George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, and took a guided tour of the Capitol, where the U.S. Congress meets.
One of the central events of their stay in the capital was their participation on November 1 in the joint prayer service, “Children's Prayer for Children,” at the Washington National Cathedral. Together with clergy and other participants in the service, they prayed for Ukrainian children killed as a result of Russia's war.
Throughout the trip, the children observed a minute of silence every morning in memory of Ukraine's fallen defenders.
The trip lasted 10 days. After completing the program in the United States, the children returned to Ukraine. The organizers hope to repeat the project and continue welcoming the children of Ukrainian defenders to the United States.
Photo: Radio UA Chicago / Surma Newspaper
Author: Danylo Pievchev