Stolen childhood: an installation dedicated to children killed by the russian army was presented in Odesa
On the square in front of the Odesa Military Administration building, marigolds were planted on anti-tank hedgehogs.
Instead of childhood, there are explosions, sirens and constant fear. In Odesa, the installation “Childhood 2022” was opened, dedicated to the young Ukrainians who died in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the russian federation.
121 anti-tank hedgehogs were installed on the square in front of the Odesa military administration building. Inverted soldier helmets with marigolds planted in them were placed on the upper channels. 363 flowers – each of them symbolizes a child whose life was taken by the war.
“This is the most terrible installation that I had to do. We understand how much grief was embodied here and we understand the thoughts of every parent who learns about the death of their child. Bucha, Irpin, Kharkiv, Odesa – all the cities suffered. This installation was not made for Ukraine, it thought more for the Europeans, so that they would realize it. They should see a terrible war ,” said Andrii Liubov, the author of the project.
All the helmets in which marigolds were planted are painted with little Odesits. In this way, the children turned war equipment into flower pots. Dozens of children got rid of negativity with the help of paints and depicted all their emotions and experiences on military helmets.
Marigolds were not chosen by chance – among the people they are considered a symbol of the native home, the Motherland, which protects from evil. That is why marigolds must have grown near every house – they got their name due to the dark border around the edges of the flowers, reminiscent of the eyebrows of a loved one.
The installation, which demonstrates the horror of Ukrainian childhood, will travel to Venice. The authors want to show the whole world that russia should be recognized as a terrorist country and start acting.

Some photos are taken from the official website of the city of Odesa.