82. Refugee Ukrainian Children Drawings Displayed within a virtually staged Matterport 3D tour gallery

Refugee Ukrainian Children Drawings Displayed Within a Virtually Staged Matterport 3D Tour Gallery

Drawings of Children From Ukraine: A Campaign By Laura Ilioaei

Artem and Anastasia Bykovets are a couple who had resided in their home in the suburbs of Kyiv, Ukraine. They have two daughters: Sasha and Sofia, who are 2 and 6-years-old, respectively.

However, Russian fighter jets recently began flying over their house, spontaneously bombing the country they had all previously called home. Staying put was evidently not an option. These parents told their children that there was no choice but to flee. Sasha and Sofia were told to gather three of their favorite toys before they would leave and seek refuge in a safer country.

Though barely older than a toddler, Sofia was well-aware that the world she had known was under turmoil and chaos. Terrified and teary-eyed, she gathered her things, bade her room goodbye, and left it while crying the whole time. The family went into their car, and Sofia’s parents attempted to console her with soft words without sparing the honesty of the tragic situation of the war at hand. Sofia quickly found herself needing to find an outlet to channel her sorrow and anxiety.

This outlet manifested into using art to cope with her emotions. Sofia began to actively paint. Initially, it was on craft bags and napkins, but she quickly transferred to more digitized platforms on tablets and cell phones.

Artem and Anastasia realized that art had a cathartic power; when Sofia painted, she was too distracted to feel distressed. They realized that art therapy would be beneficial to other children like Sofia.

Many Ukrainian children are currently spending time hiding in basements and bomb shelters as opposed to playgrounds. Since they are young, they’re unable to verbalize their feelings. They’re disturbed by the disruption in their routine and the terrors of war. The uncertainties felt by their parents perturb them as well, as there is no authority figure that can guide them through the dangerous volatility of their situation.

Prompted by these truths and their own anecdotal evidence through watching Sofia, Artem and Anastasia quickly founded UA Kids Today. It’s a platform that aims to help Ukrainians by tending to their psychological and emotional needs.

Their emphasis is on the well-being of children. They’re currently launching an all-Ukrainian online virtually staged 3D gallery of children's drawings (See Above). These drawings are meant to show how children feel about war, exposing these insights to an international audience.

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