The document summarizes an exhibition of drawings by children from the Donbas region of Ukraine depicting their perspectives on peace and war. The exhibition was organized by the community initiative "Restoring Donbas" and included over 300 drawings submitted by children living in conflict zones and those displaced. The exhibition traveled to several cities across Ukraine over months to help integrate children and build understanding between regions. It aimed to give children an opportunity to express their emotions and appeal for peace while helping adults reconsider the conflict.

1. The exhibition of children’s drawings
Peace and war
through the eyes of Donbas children
RESTORING
DONBAS
COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

2. 2
Olena Petryayeva,
The head of the community initiative“Restoring Donbas”:
Unfortunately, war has become the part of life for children, who live in
Donbas. This is our attempt to look into the souls of those, who need
help due to the consequences of adult's long ears.
This is severe reality they are living in. However, we should remember,
even though children live in OUR adult reality, time will pass and we will
live in THEIR adult future.
How has war influenced on them? What has war put into their souls?
Hostility and odium? Will the fear, pain and caution not cause such
terrible events in future?
We have collected children’s pictures about war and peace. Look at
them carefully. It is in our power, in power of adults - to stop the
violence and change the consciousness of Donbas children.
Oleksandr Klymenko,
The founder of the community initiative“Restoring Donbas”:
We organized a competition and exhibition of drawings“Peace and war
through the eyes of Donbas children” in order to unite children and
adults from different regions of Ukraine, to integrate them around the
hope for peace and a happy life.
During three months, these pictures have been demonstrated to tens of
thousands people. Adults were able to take a fresh look at the conflict.
Children had an opportunity to appeal to their peers with sincere
wishes of peace and kindness.
What do we want to say by this exhibition? Nowadays, Donbas – it is still
a hot spot and the region of humanitarian catastrophe. We should not
forget about it.
We believe that children's emotions, which were expressed in pictures
of the exhibition, can make us to look at Donbas in a new fashion. We
will be able to find the ways of resolving the conflict peacefully, if we
open our hearts.
Children's drawing contest
“Peace and war through the eyes
of Donbas children”
was organized by community initiative
“Restoring Donbas” and was holding
during the period May 9 - August 31,
2015.
“Restoring Donbas” has received more
than 300 works from children, who are
living in conflict zone, and from
children-IDPs.
Regulations of the competition stated
that special attention was paid to the
drawings of children from orphanages
and temporary camps for Donbas
children during its carrying out.
Community initiative
“Restoring Donbas”
was founded by Oleksandr Klymenko in
November 2014 in order to bring togeth-
er thinking and concerned people for a
joint search for ways to restore the
region and to assist in overcoming the
problems to its residents – both, those
remaining in conflict zone, and IDPs.
Activists of “Restoring Donbas” offer
solutions to existing problems and try to
implement their ideas. Nowadays, it
brings together more than 120 thou-
sand people via its projects and online
activity.

3. 3 Summinguptheresultsofthecompetition,anexhibitionofdrawingsinKyiv,September15,2015
On September 15, it was held an Award ceremony of the contest “Peace
and war through the eyes of Donbas children” in Kyiv.
Most of the works of contest were presented at the exhibition, organized
by volunteers of “Restoring Donbas”.
Besides, with the help of Children and Youth Creativity House forces, there
was organized a concert called “Kyiv children for Donbas children” in
Solomenskiy district, Kyiv.
Volunteers of “Restoring Donbas” decided to hold series of similar
exhibitions of drawings in different regions of the country. The main goal –
is to introduce Donbas children to children from other regions of Ukraine,
to build a dialogue between them, to make their communication become
the key of the unity and a source of inner strength to overcome the
difficulties in Ukraine today.

4. 4Summinguptheresultsofthecompetition,anexhibitionofdrawingsinKyiv,September15,2015

5. ExhibitionofdrawingsinZhitomir(CentralUkraine),October19,2015
5 РАЗМЕР ВЫБОРКИ:
On October 9, 2015 the exhibition of the drawings “Peace and war through
the eyes of Donbas children“ was opened in the Zhitomir center of children
and youth creativity.
The guests of the exhibition were able not only to see the pictures of their
peers from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but also to watch a few videos,
where Donbas children told about their feelings during the hostilities and
appealed to children from other regions of Ukraine.
Pupils of the Center organized a concert with songs and poems for the
opening of the exhibition.
They also prepared a series of drawings called “Draw the Ukrainian sun.”
Nastya Hnatiuk – a young artist - presented “Restoring Donbas” her
painting. It illustrates the sun in the form of fantastic flower, “which draws
its power from human kindness.”
Pupils of Creativity Center, who opened an exhibition with their drawings,
poems and songs, obtained a collection of drawings with the pictures,
letters of Donbas children and comments of psychologists and social
networks users.

6. 6ExhibitionofdrawingsinZhitomir(CentralUkraine),October19,2015

7. 7 ExhibitionofdrawingsinChernivtsi(WesternUkraine),November24,2015
On November 24, an exhibition of children’s drawings “Peace and war
through the eyes of Donbas children” was opened in Chernivtsi Regional
Center of aesthetic education.
During the opening ceremony of the exhibition in Chernivtsi, the guests
read their poems and presented their songs, which are devoted to peace
and Ukraine.
Traditionally it was demonstrated the film, where Donbas children tell
about the hostilities. In addition, children from Chernivtsi were able not
only to hear an appeal of Donbas children, but also to make their own
responding video.
At the end of the opening ceremony, children had an opportunity to see
the works of the participants and the winners of the contest, to watch
the films, which help to learn more about Donbas before the war and
destructions during the hostilities.

8. 8ExhibitionofdrawingsinChernivtsi(WesternUkraine),November24,2015

9. 9 ExhibitionofdrawingsinSumy(NorthernUkraine),December3,2015
On December 3, 2015 an exhibition of children’s drawings “Peace and war
through the eyes of Donbas children” was opened in Sumy regional Center
of extramural study and work with talented youth.
Not only the pupils of the Center, but also pupils of the schools of Sumy
became the guests of the exhibition. In general, more than 300 children
have attended it during the opening day.
Larisa Tikhenko (the head of the Center) offered to conduct All-Ukrainian
competition “From children of Ukraine to Donbas children” and claimed
about the willingness of Sumy to launch such project.
The exhibition was planned in such way that nearly 12 thousand children
from Sumy had an opportunity to visit it.

10. 10ExhibitionofdrawingsinSumy(NorthernUkraine),December3,2015

11. There was a significant interest in videos, which were presented during
the exhibition - the story of Donbas children about the hostilities and
appeal of small Darina from Donetsk on behalf of Donbas children to
children from other regions of Ukraine.
Children from Kharkiv were actively recording their responses video
messages to Donbas children.
11 ExhibitionofdrawingsinKharkiv(EasternUkraine),December14,2015
On December 14, regional exhibition of children’s drawings “Peace and
war through the eyes of Donbas children” was opened in art school for
children №1 on behalf of Repin in Kharkiv.
Visit of Kharkiv was a significant event for the exhibition. This region has
sheltered the highest number of IDPs among all the neighboring regions of
Donbas.
The fact is the majority (out of 400 children, who attended the opening of
the exhibition) told about children-IDPs in their classes.

12. 12ExhibitionofdrawingsinKharkiv(EasternUkraine),December14,2015
ExhibitionofdrawingsinKramatorsk(Donetskregion),December21,2015

13. 13 ExhibitionofdrawingsinKramatorsk(EasternUkraine),December21,2015
On December 21, an exhibition of participants and winners of the contest of
children’s drawings “Peace and war through the eyes of Donbas children”
was opened in Kramatorsk Center of extracurricular activities.
Exhibition in Kramatorsk has completed series of regional exhibitions of
the initiative in 2015.
A video message of children from different regions of Ukraine to Donbas
children became an important part of the event. Visitors of Kramatorsk
exhibition were the first, who saw it.
Andrei Malyutin and Sofia Sbitneva – the winners of the contest – visited
the exhibition.
Pupils of Kramatorsk Center have prepared a concert for all the
participants. Later they got acquainted with its works together with other
guests of an exhibition.

14. 14ExhibitionofdrawingsinKramatorsk(EasternUkraine),December21,2015

15. 15 ExhibitionofdrawingsinLisichansk(EasternUkraine),January26,2016
It was not only the first exhibition organized by community initiative
“Restoring Donbas” in 2016, but the last regional exhibition “Peace and
war through the eyes of Donbas children”, which was organized in
Ukraine.
Pupils of Lisichansk schools, as well as representatives of city authorities,
attended the opening ceremony.
An important part of the event was a video message from children from
different regions of Ukraine to Donbas children, as well as during the
exhibition in Kramatorsk. Children of Lisichansk heard warm wishes from
Zhytomyr, Chernivtsi, Sumy, Kharkiv.
January 26, 2016, it was opened an exhibition of drawings by participants
and winners of “Peace and war through the eyes of Donbas children”
contest in Lisichansk regional museum.
Sergey Shilin – a mayor of Lisichansk – took the floor with the words of
gratitude to the organizers during the opening ceremony. He expressed
confidence in further fruitful work of local authorities in Lisichansk and
social initiatives with volunteers. He awarded them with the certificates of
gratitude.
Pupils of Palace of Art “Diamond” (with the support of town council in
Lisichansk) prepared a celebratory concert for all the participants.

16. ExhibitionofdrawingsinLisichansk(EasternUkraine),January26,2016
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17. © Community initiative "Restoring Donbas". 2016
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Neitherwarisworthasingletearofthechild!
RESTORING
DONBAS
COMMUNITY INITIATIVE