The mini-sculpture "Heroes" created with the support of Violitу was installed in Kyiv

On March 29, at 11:00 a.m., the mini-sculpture "Heroes" was unveiled at Askold's Grave, another city landmark from the "Shukai!" project.

"Our history is being written now, and over the past two years I have received letters from families who have lost their loved ones. They asked me to install a sculpture for everyone," said Yulia Bevzenko, the author of the project "Shukai!" Yulia Bevzenko, the author of the project. That's how the idea came to embody in bronze the symbolic image of a Ukrainian soldier kneeling before the flag. To see the mini-sculpture, one must also bend the knee, thus paying tribute to all the fallen.

"Non-verbal signs of respect have an ancient history, and kneeling is one of them. And whether we get down on one knee or both is of great importance. A person bends one knee of his or her own free will when he or she pays homage with dignity and shows gratitude to someone whose feat he or she admires. People kneel on both knees when they surrender themselves to someone else's will, abandoning their own. Therefore, every time we bow in respect to our fallen heroes, let us remember that we ourselves belong to a nation of warriors, not slaves," says Anna Chaplygina, an etiquette expert.

Askold's Tomb is a legendary place. In the nineteenth century, this land was the necropolis of famous Kyivans, and in 1918, the burial place of the Kruty heroes appeared. Nowadays, the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred and soldiers of the Russian-Ukrainian war, including Andriy "Juice" Pilshchikov and Dmytro "Da Vinci" Kotsiubailo, are honored here. Their families were present at the event.

"I want people to come here on their own, to bring their children, friends who have come from other cities, and foreign guests. I want them to take pictures of this sculpture, share these photos online, and in this way tell others stories about how our freedom is being fought for. I imagine these people then coming to light a candle in the Zdvyzhenska Chapel, whose walls depict the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, as well as Ukrainian princes, hetmans, and generals-all those who have been defending our land for centuries and laid down their lives for it. When the bell rings above the chapel, my heart feels tight in my chest. And right next to the graves of Da Vinci and Juice, there is a living history that is happening here and now," says Yulia Bevzenko.

Representatives of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, Maksym and Yevhen, also spoke. "This sculpture is beautiful, first of all, and it will decorate our city. And it is very necessary for the next generations, who will look at it and do the same for our Ukraine," the military noted.

The figure was created by sculptor Yuriy Bilyavsky. The image of the hero was coordinated with the military to the smallest detail.

"Heroes" became the first sculpture in the project to use color: the national flag is painted blue and yellow. It was also the first to unite all of the sponsors of the project, as the project is designed not only to honor the fallen but also to help the living.

"Usually, one sculpture is donated by one patron, but here everyone has united. Each of the patrons supports the military today. And we thought we could also find an opportunity to help those who need it," said Yulia Bevzenko. 

The money will be spent on the restoration and timely maintenance of specialized evacuation vehicles.

This is the forty-second sculpture that "Shukai!" together with benefactors, including Violity, has presented to the city.