First Lady Zelenska breaks down in tears at unveiling of children’s memorial in Kharkiv
Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, paid tribute to the memory of children who have tragically lost their lives as a result of Russian armed aggression during her visit to Kharkiv on June 4, the International Day of Innocent Child Victims of Aggression.
In Kharkiv, the First Lady unveiled a monument dedicated to the children who have lost their lives due to Russian aggression. The monument was erected near the building of the Kharkiv Oblast Palace of Children’s and Youth Creativity, featuring a sculpture created by Mykhailo Yatchenko.
“It is challenging to inaugurate memorials for the deceased, especially when the victims are children because children are meant to live,” said the First Lady.
“I recall a widely circulated photo: a father holding his deceased son’s hand at a bus stop. It happened in Kharkiv after another Russian shelling attack. Such an image is unforgettable, and we cannot accept it.”
“Parents hold their children’s hands when they take their first steps, when they lead them to kindergarten, to school. The most horrifying thing one can imagine is holding the hand of a deceased child. It should never happen. Children are meant to live! Our children are our responsibility. They depend on us; they trust us. If they are our future, then we are their present. Let’s make it the best, safest, and most loving present, even during times of war.”
“And let us preserve the memory of those children whom this monument is dedicated to. Let us become their voices and their memory,” Zelenska said, unable to hold back her tears.
The monument consists of sculptures depicting a boy and a girl soaring above a granite block symbolizing an explosion. The figures of the children, portrayed as angels with charred wings, stand approximately 160-170 centimeters tall.
As of May 30, in Kharkiv Oblast alone, 76 children have lost their lives due to the aggressor’s actions, with a total of 485 casualties throughout Ukraine.
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