On September 12, the National Reserve ‘Sophia of Kyiv’ hosted the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, an annual global platform initiated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska that unites first ladies and gentlemen to address global challenges. Here, we tell you more about the Summit activities implemented by the Cultural Platform.
The Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen has been focused on the theme of ‘Protecting Childhood: Ensuring a Safe Future’. It was presented through five key dimensions: ‘Child Safety During the War,’ ‘Child Safety in the Family,’ ‘Child Safety at School,’ ‘Child Safety in Cyberspace’ and ‘Safe Environment for Children’. Within each dimension, the Summit guests have explored and discussed the threats and challenges children face, creating comfortable conditions for raising the youngest generation, and state protection mechanisms.
The Cultural Platform Zakarpattya NGO, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine, has implemented several key activities for the Fourth Summit. They represented the ‘Safe Environment for Children’ ecological dimension, which included five exposition pavilions, a printed thematic newspaper, specially crafted gifts for guests, as well as the recording of five podcasts—one for each of the thematic dimensions of the Summit. Each of the activities represents the voice of teenagers and youth in the context of international partners’ commitments to ensure a safe future for the next generation in general and Ukrainian youth in particular.
Speaking of “ensuring a safe future”, one cannot overlook the impact of ecocide and the destruction of Ukraine’s natural biodiversity, which irreversibly affects the development of future generations. Ukraine holds 35% of Europe’s biodiversity, and the preservation of the European ecosystem is directly linked to the condition of Ukraine’s environment, which is currently suffering due to ongoing hostilities.
The subject of our research in the context of a safe environment is Ukraine’s protected areas, which are currently located in the occupied territories, and the role of these natural landscapes in fostering resilience among Ukrainian youth. We draw a comparison between youth and the unique flora that not only holds protected status in Ukraine but is also listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the European Red List. With the loss of access to these protected areas, teenagers and young adults lose a part of their national identity, as ecology, aesthetics, and ethics in the 21st century are deeply interconnected—woven together like roots, stems, and flowers. The full development of an individual is impossible without the harmony of these components: they seamlessly merge, forming the core of national identity.
Omeljan Pritsak observes that the concept of a nation emerged from the French Revolution of 1789 and gained political development in Western Europe during the nineteenth century. For Ukraine, the foundations for national identity were laid by the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the prose and prophetic poetry of Taras Shevchenko, Mykhailo Drahomanov’s framing of the Ukrainian issue as a political problem, and the application of his ideas by his Galician students (Ivan Franko, Ostap Terletskyi, Mykhailo Pavlyk) as well as the Liberation Movement of 1917–1923.
A nation is a community of people who feel a unifying bond rooted in their past and consciously aspire to build a common future by implementing their well-defined political goals.
According to this formula, a political nation can only emerge through the development of a civil society that clearly articulates its identity. In the 21st century, ecological safety has become an essential element of national identity, as it safeguards the right to well-being for future Ukrainian generations.
This year’s Summit presented the results of the study ‘Protection of Childhood: Security Dimensions for Children and Adolescents’, which gathered perspectives from respondents in 15 countries on factors impacting the safety of future generations. Among the 4,500 children and youth surveyed, climate change was rated as the second biggest challenge for the coming years, at 6.73/10 points. At the same time, parents rated environmental security as only the fourth most important (after price increases, poverty, and unemployment).
According to the National Youth Strategy until 2030, Ukrainian youth have the right to choose their future, and the state must provide opportunities for the development of their potential. Today, young people are switching from waiting for directives to taking action, becoming responsible for their decisions, and are much better than the previous generation at prioritizing the challenges that need to be addressed immediately. This is especially true when it comes to issues related to climate change and, in Ukraine’s context, the consequences of ecocide resulting from Russian hostilities.
The National Youth Strategy also involves the incorporation of new approaches to youth development in Ukraine, considering important aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals for Ukraine until 2030, which regulate the principles of youth policy development of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the European Union.
The Aarhus Convention, ratified by Ukraine and European countries, defines the right of citizens to public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters.
Based on these provisions, it can be argued that an integral component of the new generation’s well-being is the opportunity to visit and interact with wildlife landscapes that have shaped Ukrainian identity for centuries.
Conscious civil society organizations must become the public “architects” of the future ecosystem and, through their activities, showcase new cultural artifacts to the public that reflect the transformative processes within society. These material communication factors shape the dynamics of the meanings of social change that have emerged under the influence of ecocide.
Some of these digital cultural artifacts are landscapes of occupied nature reserves and visualizations of the Red Book plants in bloom created by the Cultural Platform, generated using Unreal engine and Houdini tools. The current young generation has never seen these landscapes or plants in real life due to the war. Digital artifacts help to preserve them for future generations—and thus preserve part of their ecological identity.
The expertise of our NGO in working with more than 65,000 teenagers and young people in 64 communities of Ukraine this year allowed us to diversely represent the voice of the next generation—people who will feel the immediate consequences of the decisions of the international community that will shape their safe future—at the Summit. The cultural artifacts presented at the Summit demonstrate the need to rethink reality, with a view to helping society to better understand itself and its place in the broader context of social, cultural, and environmental processes of “disordered reality” under the war’s impact.
The well-being and health of young people directly depend on the quality of the environment. In a world where environmental challenges pose a threat to the future, the issue of preserving and restoring nature takes on a new meaning, especially for young people growing up amidst war and environmental crises the world has never faced before: mining of protected areas, missile attacks on energy infrastructure, the seizure of a nuclear power plant, the burning of protected forests and rivers pollutions, and other manifestations of ecocide.
Following the Steppes: From the Crimean Slopes To the Luhansk Expanses
The ‘Following the Steppes: From the Crimean Slopes To the Luhansk Expanses’ exposition reveals the cultural and natural value of the Ukrainian nature protection zones occupied by Russian troops in 5 pavilions: Crimean Nature Reserve (Autonomous Republic of Crimea), Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve (Kherson region), Grand Meadow National Nature Park (Zaporizhzhia region), Ukrainian Steppe Nature Reserve (Donetsk region), and Luhansk Nature Reserve (Luhansk region).
The exposition sites were designed and implemented by the FORMA architectural bureau. Their location on the territory of the National Reserve ‘Sophia of Kyiv’ is a symbolic smaller version of the real geographical location of the protected areas, and guides the Summit guests through the Ukrainian steppe landscapes, from Crimea to the Luhansk region.
The exposition of each pavilion presents two types of artifacts: works of Ukrainian youth and contemporary artists. The youth’s reflection on their interaction with nature is presented through video works, visual art, and audio works created as part of the creative programs of the NGO, in particular, the “KONTENTA” audiovisual studies and the educational “Spilno Camp” and “Spilno Camp. Communities” creative programs. These artifacts are crucial for communication in global ecological geopolitics, as they not only reflect values and identity but also determine the social change dynamics that occur under the influence of environmental challenges.
The exhibition is enriched by ceramic artifacts crafted by Ukrainian ceramic artists and a speculative designer. These symbolic representations of plants, included in the Red Data Book, aim to draw public attention to the environmental and social challenges Ukraine has faced in defending its territories.
In Ukrainian culture, plants have traditionally held a significant place in the national mentality. They form the basis of many decorative elements, such as embroideries, towels, woodblock prints, house paintings, woven carpets, tiles, and ceramics. Plants also play an essential role in folklore and are featured prominently in folk songs. Ukrainian poets like Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, Maksym Rylskyi, Vasyl Symonenko, Petro Midianka, and Ivan Malkovych use plant imagery to capture the unique aspects of their local environments, seasons, and the emotions of their lyrical characters. Ukrainian painting also reflects this connection with flora, seen in the works of Hanna Sobachko, Mariia Prymachenko, Oleksandr Dubovyk, and Ivan Marchuk. Moreover, Ukrainian flora is showcased in Petrykivka painting, which is recognized on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The works of Ukrainian youth served as prototypes for these large forms, as the primary voice for change should come from the generation whose future will most directly be impacted by environmental conditions. The role of adults in this dialogue is to amplify that voice by every possible means.
For this reason, active youth from across Ukraine were chosen as the mediators for each space within the Summit’s creative installation.
“We not only spoke about the reserves but also showcased what makes them unique, shared our concerns about their current situation, and rediscovered these territories from a fresh perspective. I was genuinely moved when I saw the guests’ eyes light up and fill with tears—not just among Ukrainians, but also among foreigners. It showed that our words and stories were not just heard, but deeply felt, as we guided everyone through the steppe. We must take action to create a safe environment now before it becomes too late”.
— Mariia Kravtsova, mediator of the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve pavilion
Pavilion 1. Cultural Platform At the Fourth Summit Of First Ladies and Gentlemen
Crimean Nature Reserve
The largest and most famous reserve in Crimea. Its territory contains 137 species of plants listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine; 90 of them are endemic. The Crimean yayles, mountainous rocky plains, and the so-called southern coastal amphitheaters are absolutely unique landscapes. Since 2014, the reserve has been located on uncontrolled Ukrainian territories. In 2018, the reserve’s territory came under Russian control and was renamed into a national park. Hunting and building were allowed on 35% of its territory.
Plant: Pulsatilla taurica
It is a unique Red Data Book plant that is endemic to the Crimean peninsula. Only the rocky steppes of the Crimean yayles are suitable for the growth of Pulsatilla taurica. You can see the flowers of this plant in inaccessible areas of the Crimean Mountains from April to May.
Artifact ‘Flower Laughter Holds the Burning World’, Dmytro Bilokin
The world of adults is on fire. This process takes place on an invisible level until it possesses a material form of the all-consuming fire of war, disaster and destruction of everything that is living, peaceful, effective and beautiful. This is a direct allegory of war, a painful manifestation of reality. The large cracked ball is supported by the lower light and colorful part of the revival. The bright bowl is filled with colorful ornaments of Pulsatilla taurica flowers. It symbolizes children, new generations and hope. The combination of the two parts symbolizes eternal rebirth and reflects faith in the future of our country and the world.
Youth works
The video works featured in this space were created by young people from Kryvyi Rih as part of the Directing module of the Spilno Camp project, under the mentorship of director and artist Illia Dutsyk. Through an environmental metaphor, the youth reexamined their perception of beauty and produced video pieces that embody both inner and outer harmony.
Characteristic: uniqueness.
Pavilion 2. Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve named after F.E. Falz-Fein
Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve
The reserve is located in the very south of Ukraine in the Kherson region. It is the oldest of all and was founded in 1898. Askania-Nova was one of the first in Ukraine to receive the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve certificate. Askania Nova’s greatest value is the wild steppe, the largest uncultivated virgin land in the whole of Ukraine. In the past, the steppes covered about 40% of current Ukrainian territory, but no more than 3% of the former steppe areas are left nowadays. A lot of rare species of plants and animals that inhabited the steppes in the past are now on the edge of extinction. In the twentieth century, the reserve survived two world wars. Askania-Nova has remained in non-government-controlled Ukrainian territory since the first day of the war.
Plant: Centaurea taliewii
The Red Data Book plant, which is very rare and can reach a height of one metre. This plant requires areas of natural fescue-feather grass steppes located on slopes or rocky outcrops facing the sun. Centaurea taliewii is listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Artifact: Centaurea taliewii, Elvira Demerdzhy
Memories of the steppe and cornflower are rapidly moving away in time from us. Sometimes, it feels as if these flowers and steppes were with us a long time ago, just like our childhood brush paintings. The cornflower becomes an artifact, like childhood itself.
Youth works
The video works displayed in this space were created by young people from Kryvyi Rih as part of the Directing module of the Spilno Camp project, under the mentorship of director and artist Illia Dutsyk. The youth reflected on their emotional states through an environmental metaphor, producing videos in which nature serves as an expression of human experience..
Characteristic: resilience.
Pavilion 3. The Grand Meadow National Nature Park
The Grand Meadow National Nature Park
Historically, Grand Meadow is the territory of an ancient forest located on Khortytsia Island, in the capital of the former Cossack Ukrainian state. It is the largest forest in the steppe zone of Ukraine, which in the past covered the entire area of the now-former Kakhovka Reservoir in the Zaporizhzhia region. When the reservoir ceased to exist in 2023 after the dam destruction, a forest of willows and poplars began to regenerate in its place. In one year, billions of young trees not only sprouted from seeds but also managed to grow to a height of four metres and a trunk thickness of five centimetres. This is the fastest recorded growth of a young forest in Ukraine—nature continues to do its job of healing wounds, despite everything.
Plant: Ornithogalum boucheanum
This Red Data Book plant is common in the Ukrainian steppe zone, with the southern region being its main area of distribution. Like other steppe plants, it can survive in severe arid conditions, is not afraid of fires and can hide its bulbs deep underground.
Artifact: Ornithogalum boucheanum, Oleksandr Maslii
Despite its delicacy, this flower embodies resilience and harmony. It is not only an artistic image but also a call to preserve and appreciate life in all its forms. The symbol of the flower reflects our youth’s resilience, which, like rare plants, finds the strength to flourish even in the most difficult conditions.
Youth works
The posters displayed in this space are designed as imaginary newspaper covers centered around the concept of solastalgia, created under the mentorship of designer Tetiana Turovets. Solastalgia—the pain of losing one’s place of solace—is an emotion familiar to those who feel detached from their homeland. Youth from various Ukrainian communities contemplated what it means to feel secure in a safe space and how natural landscapes have influenced their perspectives.
Characteristic: adaptability.
Pavilion 4. Ukrainian Steppe Nature Reserve
Ukrainian Steppe Nature Reserve
The primary nature reserve of the Donetsk region consists of four branches that showcase the region’s diverse and unique landscapes:
- Virgin steppes with unique species of plants and animals;
- Unique landscapes of the Kalmius River canyon, the widest canyon in Ukraine and the only canyon in the east;
- The best-preserved Cretaceous outcrops in Ukraine on the mountains of the Siverskyi Donets River banks;
- Real granite mountains in the middle of the flat steppe, where two mega-endemic species occur—Achillea glaberrima and Centaurea pseudoleucolepis. Their entire global population covers an area of no more than five hectares.
Plant: Stipa graniticola
There are more than 20 species of feathergrass in Ukraine, and all of them are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Stipa graniticola is a unique endemic. Up to now, it has not been bred in artificial conditions. The granite feathergrass seed plants itself wherever the wind blows it, and this adaptation is the most difficult among all known plants in Ukraine.
Artifact: Stipa graniticola, Svitlana Isaieva and the ‘Maysternya’ Home
The sculpture embodies a whole wave of feathergrass because feathergrass grows in ‘families’. It is the family that gives children confidence, an invisible support throughout their lives. The process of growing up is complicated and takes place in the face of challenges and difficulties. Just like clay, which is transformed into ceramics by firing, children go through a period of transformation, forming their personality. Just like the deformations and cracks that occur during the firing of ceramics, the child’s soul bears an imprint of external circumstances. The war cracks are traces of traumas, experiences and losses but, at the same time, they are part of growth and formation.
Youth works
Young Voices of Nature: Strength and Revival’, Dania Shulipa
You can see artifacts created by youth peeking through an abstraction with physically burned pieces. This work is a metaphor for the fragility of nature and teenage memories. The abstract image of feather grass, a typical steppe plant, reflects the strength and fragility of Ukrainian natural landscapes, in particular the steppe spaces that are disappearing or changing.
Characteristic: flexibility.
Pavilion 5. Luhansk Nature Reserve
Luhansk Nature Reserve
Founded in 1927 as multiple separate reserves, it preserves the brightest and most untouched landscapes and vegetation of the Donetsk Ridge. In 2014, the first hostilities began on the territory of the Striltsivskyi Steppe, the largest virgin land in the Luhansk region that has survived to this day, although it is only 1,000 hectares in size. It was the territory of the Luhansk Nature Reserve that became the first conflict-affected area of Ukraine’s nature reserves. However, it may become a source of seeds for biodiversity restoration that can spread to surrounding areas and restore them to their natural state.
Plant: Calophaca wolgarica
An endemic of the Azov Sea region and southeastern Europe. It is not afraid of droughts or frosts, and thrives best in steppe areas where grazing is maintained. It grows not on black soil but on crystalline rock outcrops, limestone chalk slopes, and detachments of granite and other rocks.
Artifact: ‘Post-Steppe Flower unit,’ Volodymyr Serhachov
The flower unit is a design speculation on the future flora of the Ukrainian steppe, which communicates the synthesis of its organic and geological layers. The sample consists of two components—perianth and the pedicel. The perianth preserves the organic heritage of the modern modified steppe in its capsule. The capsule material is a composite of rye grains and resin. The pedicel embodies the geological component of the steppe zone and is shaped like the leaves of fossilized ferns, the prints of which are often found in coal, a key element of steppe industrialization. The flower plant is made of recycled PETG plastic and equipped with a motion sensor to monitor its surroundings. It can broadcast its state to others using light signals. The light is emitted in two ways—the alarm switches to a calm state when a person or other living creature moves near the flower unit.
Youth works
Musical compositions that reflect the emotional state of modern youth, as well as their natural and cultural identity. Each track was created within the framework of the Cultural Platform creative programs under the mentorship of contemporary Ukrainian musicians—Artem Buhai (Teemon), Pavlo Chornyi, Artem Nazarenko (Uanobody) and Yaryna Kvasnii.
Characteristic: transformation.
Cultural artifacts must be represented on international cooperation platforms such as the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, where the voices of young people should resonate as strongly as those of invited experts and diplomats. The international community needs to recognize the current aesthetic priorities, cultural values, and development trends reflected by these artifacts and seek effective solutions to address the challenges that hinder the younger generation from flourishing.
Newspaper
At each exposition location, guests could get the Summit printed newspaper ‘Ecological Identity: How Environment Shapes Personality,’ which explores the discourse on environmental safety for future generations and urges the global community to collaborate in defining the directions for collective action to preserve biodiversity.
CONTENTS:
1. Speech of the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska
2. Speech by Youth supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine
3. ‘How Nature Shapes Our Future’. Environmental safety dimension
4. ‘Voices of Askania: Steppe Lost’. An interview with youth from Askania-Nova
5. ‘Following the Steppes: From the Crimean Slopes to the Luhansk Expanses’. Summit exhibition route
6. ‘The Forest Shapes the Tree—the Tree Shapes the Forest’. The word of the public sector from the Cultural Platform Zakarpattya NGO
All of these materials will showcase the key themes of the ‘Safe Environment for Children’ dimension in Ukrainian and English languages and allow the international community to hear the voices of youth who are forced to be separated from their natural environment and cultural roots.
Gifts
Thanks to symbolic gifts created specifically for the Summit, participants had the opportunity to contribute to preserving Ukrainian nature and become its ambassadors worldwide. Each set includes a ceramic representation of one of the exhibition’s flowers, symbolizing the resilience of Ukrainian nature and the importance of preserving it for future generations. The brooches and pendants were crafted from Ukrainian clay and hand-painted by ceramic artist Kateryna Vlasova. Additionally, the set contains a biodegradable postcard embedded with cornflower seeds, enabling Ukrainian flora to find a home in other countries and grow anew with renewed strength.
Lyana Saleh, a researcher of Ukrainian beauty ontology from Poltava, mentored the creation of the ceramic artifacts. She facilitated a collaboration with contemporary Ukrainian ceramic artists to produce both large and small works for the Summit.
Podcasts
As part of the ‘KONTENTA’ audiovisual studies project, 5 podcasts were recorded at the Summit, each of which addressing one of the safety aspects of youth development: during the war, in the family, at school, in cyberspace, and in the environmental dimension.
The podcast locations featured visualized landscapes of Ukraine’s nature reserves, digitally preserved in their pristine state (before hostilities broke out in these regions). The beauty and uniqueness of this natural heritage aim to raise international awareness about the urgent need to protect and restore areas currently suffering from the consequences of the war.
1. Safe Environment for Children (location: Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve)
Participants:
Dr. Lucrecia Eugenia Peinado Villanueva (First Lady of the Republic of Guatemala)
Vladyslav Levchuk (Member of the UNICEF Youth Council in Ukraine)
Maya-Natuk Rohmann Fleischer (Environmental and children rights activist, Greenland)
2. Child Safety at School (location: Luhansk Nature Reserve)
Participants:
Rossana Maria Briceño (Spouse of the Prime Minister of Belize)
Hanna Kudrinova (English teacher, Teach for Ukraine fellow)
Polina Medvid (Schoolgirl, ‘Spilno Rizdvo’ program ambassador)
3. Child Safety in the Family (location: Crimean Nature Reserve)
Participants:
George Faller (Family and сouples therapist)
Olena Karas (Music artist, the voice of ‘Tonka’ band)
Viacheslav Yalov (Guardian to his 4 siblings)
4. Child Safety in Cyberspace (location: Grand Meadow National Nature Park)
Participants:
Valeriya Ionan (Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration)
Vasyl Baidak (Standup comedian, volunteer)
Anna Vietrova (Member of the UNICEF Youth Council in Ukraine)
5. Child Safety During the War (location: Ukrainian Steppe Nature Reserve)
Participants:
Kateryna Lopuha (16 years old, Mykolaiv)
Illia Zinchenko (17 years old, Hlukhiv)
Svitlana Nemonezhyna (Standup comedian)
The invited experts and guests of the Summit, together with the youth, explored how society can build a culture of security to ensure the full development of the next generation, contributing to its resilience at all levels. This format fosters open dialogue among all participants and should serve as a starting point for cooperation between the international community, cultural leaders, and youth.
Systematic youth representation on international platforms and communication between all key figures influencing a secure future are crucial to addressing the challenges we face today. Ensuring the well-being of future generations is only achievable through the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for international cooperation, adherence to international environmental laws, and providing opportunities for young people to speak freely about what truly matters.
This is the second Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in which the Cultural Platform has participated. Last year, as part of the ‘Mental Health: Resilience and Fragility of the Future’ Summit, youth had the opportunity to engage in open conversations with international and Ukrainian cultural figures and diplomats about mental health issues affecting the current generation, through podcast discussions. In addition, the ‘MuzyKuvannia’ format developed by the Cultural Platform to provide psycho-emotional support and social cohesion for young people in communities through the practice of joint research of their own cultural identity was presented within the framework of the Summit. Here, young people from the Cultural Platform community managed to jam with the First Lady of Estonia, Sirje Karis, and create a meditative sound under the centenary Ash tree.
Photo Tetiana Shavlovska, Roman Pashkovskyi, Andrii Vashkiv
Yevhen Zabarylo, Anastasiya Mishustina
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