The Healing exhibition represents the profound and lasting impact of war on children in Ukraine and the long, difficult journey that future generations will face as they strive to recover.
The Rescue Now Foundation, through its therapeutic camp Litokryl, uses art as one of the components of the recovery process for children traumatized by the loss of loved ones and the atrocities of war.
Nastia
13 y.o., Chernihiv
Nastia joined the Litokryl camp after losing her father in the war. Her painting represents two of the biggest events of her life: the war and how her country is living through it now, and the loss of her father.“It feels as if the entire land has turned black—filled with pain, death, horror, and fear. But our land still remembers the bright times, which I painted on the horizon. That light must return to our country. There is great hope in that.
The second part is a memory—when my father and I, just the two of us, used to go to the sea. He would sit next to me, and we would watch the most beautiful sunsets. But now, that’s just a memory.”
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The exhibition brings to the world a series of collages that combine children's portraits, their drawings, and the deeply personal stories behind each creation. These are not mere images; they are windows into the emotional world of children facing what no child should ever have to experience.
This project allows children to express, through art, what they cannot put into words, transforming grief, fear, and hope into artistic creations.
Anna
Anna joined the Litokryl camp after losing her father in the war and leaving her home. She described how she left her hometown when she and her family were forced to flee their home during a full-scale invasion.13 y.o., Bila Tserkva
“Mom said we were going to visit friends, but we packed all our things. Even then I realized that we might not return. But the whole way to a new place, the whole way, I just really believed that we would return home one day. All the way I saw destruction, I don’t know exactly where we were going, but it was somewhere on the outskirts of Chernihiv. It was scary to see so much destruction, as if everything was burning, that’s why I depicted it in the picture.”
Valeria
11 y.o., Kherson
Valeria lived under occupation for six months.Valeria’s father joined the army on the first day of the war and was later killed in the Zaporizhzhia region. She learned about his death from the news. Since then, she says, she has cried endlessly.“This is the Tree of Dreams, and inside of it - there is a small suitcase. This suitcase holds the dreams of children, safely tucked away until the universe turns them into reality. As these dreams come true, the suitcase becomes lighter, and so does the tree. However, if too many wishes are made, the Tree of Dreams grows heavy and may not survive. That’s why each child is allowed only one wish—so the tree can stay strong, and every child’s dream has a chance to come true.”
Oleksii
“I drew what life was like before and what it is now. To me, this shows that war is pure horror. Sometimes, I think this must all be just a nightmare—the worst nightmare of my life. During the war, I have felt the most terrifying emotions a person can experience: fear, sorrow, pain.
But I keep reminding myself that I must stay strong for my mother and me. We will get through this.”
Oleksii joined the Litokryl camp after losing his father in the war. His drawing depicts the stark contrast between life before the war and the reality he faces now.11 y.o., Zhytomyr
Yurii
Yurii joined Litokryl Camp after he lost one of his parents in the war. He did not wish to disclose any further information.12 y.o.
“I drew my own coat of arms and realized that for me, my coat of arms is Ukraine. It wasn't like this before, but now these symbols are important—because of them, I realize - I am Ukrainian. My drawing features Ukrainian mountains, sunflowers, and a Carpathian village—these are my dreams: to see these places and feel the essence of our country. When you are there, you forget about all the horrors of war that we have been through.
I don’t want to talk about everything I have survived—it’s too painful.”
Maksym
12 y.o., Kyiv
Maksym joined the Litokryl camp after losing his father in the war. He drew the experiences of people in the regions most devastated by the war. For the first two weeks into the war, his family was in Kyiv and was forced to live in a basement of their building, with his father bringing them food. “I want to tell how we found out my father had died. It was the day before my birthday, July 22. I was happy because my birthday was coming up. But by noon, my mother started worrying—my father had not been in touch for three days. At first, they told her he had been wounded in the arm. Thirty minutes later, she learned the truth—he had been killed.
That’s how I spent the worst birthday in the world.”
Diana
12 y.o., Kryvyi Rih
“I was surprised by my own drawing, but this is truly how I feel about the war. War is blood. In my picture, the grass is our land, and it is completely soaked in blood. I remember my first emotions when the war began—it was terrifying. I never want to feel that again.
I don’t even want to remember what I survived. But at camp, I feel like I am changing, opening up, and becoming ready to share my experiences.”
Diana lost her father in the war. In her drawing, she tried to capture what does the war feel like for her.Maksym
From February 24 to March 4, Maksym and his family lived in a basement. On March 4, the Kadyrovites* began their offensive in that part of the city. Under the heave shelling, they managed to escape the city with the last train. The next day, on March 5, his father, who joined the Territorial Defense Forces, was shot while defending Irpin.*paramilitary organization in Chechnya12 y.o., Irpin
“It’s hard to dream or envision the future right now, but maybe I want to become a Master of Sport in Horting and then train others. But right now, no dream matters if the war doesn’t stop and people keep dying. That’s the most important thing. God will forgive everyone and protect them from danger. Every country and its people may have different religions, but there is only one God. However, God will never forgive a man who torments others.”