Cross of Heroes

Cross of Heroes.

A place of memory.

A place of consolation.

A place of power.

A place of memory.

It is located in Vyshhorod, near Kyiv. It is located near the place where Ukrainian heroes stopped the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. It is symbolic that on the same day, 2 years later, the memorial appears here.

To remember. To honour the heroes. To maintain faith in the victory of light.

Dedicated to all the heroes who gave their lives defending Ukraine, and to all those who continue to fight and carry their cross.

The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.

John 15:13

Remember those who laid down their lives defending Ukraine.

Continue to fight and carry your cross with dignity.

Keep faith and humanity in times of darkest trials.

"It is here, on this border marked by the blood of so many brave sons and daughters of our homeland, that we have gathered today to create memory so that Ukraine and the world will remember them. In order for the memory to exist in the future, it needs to be built today."

— said the head of the UGCC, Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

"The Cross of Heroes is a unique installation with countless sparks of light that symbolize the souls of Ukrainians who are fighting for Ukraine on all fronts, bringing light and confidence to others. Being in the middle of the installation among thousands of lights, a person experiences an emotional symbolic experience of unity with the nation of which he or she is an integral part."

— project co-author, founder and art director of Kabluka Light & Digital Sculptures and Expolight, Mykola Kabluka

"The appearance of the memorial is a collective reflection on the two years of our struggle since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. It is a place of comfort and a place of hope. We tried to meet the huge demand of society to rethink the places of memory. To make it a place where people would want to come. A place where you can come for solace, be alone, or, conversely, find a person with a common pain and help each other survive the tragedy."

— says Andriy Vavrysh, co-author of the project.

"Two years ago, each of us lived a completely different life. And now I can't find the right words to say how important it is to have a place where you can bring your pain, because over these two years, the biggest pain that has gone through my heart is the loss of beautiful people.
This memorial is a symbol that thousands of people should see every day so that they do not forget that even now, every day and every moment, our peace is paid at the highest price."

— project co-author Oleksandr Horgan

"Unfortunately, we don't have many places like this. Places where you can come for comfort. Places that would be a sign of gratitude to the people who gave their lives to save ours. That's why I am very grateful that this memorial has appeared here."

— Inna Shpak, wife of the fallen Hero of Ukraine.

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A combination of our thousand-year history and modernity. Cossack traditions and new victories. Hope for protection and faith that light will overcome darkness.

Cossack flag of 1651. Located in the Military Museum of Stockholm (Sweden)

Emblem of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Object and artistic solution

The image is embodied through a spatial installation that is open to interaction.Everyone can come inside to feel part of a single whole with the people who defend the light and continue to carry their cross.

We use a three-dimensional cross

Select the cross in the vertical planes

Cuttting off the edges with a three-dimensional cross

Image, light, and sound create an extraordinary feeling that inspires, supports and empowers.

Thousands of light elements that overcome the darkness and create a sense of infinity.

The mirror surface of the installation reflects the light of the sun during the day and the light of thousands of lights at night

Every day, Ukrainian heroes illuminate the path of all of us in times of darkest trials with the light of their souls.

Soul/of

Soulof

Ukraine

Entering from any of the four sides of the installation, a person finds themselves in the centre of the cross, enveloped by the sounds of their native land.

Having entered the center of the installation from any of the 4 sides, you will find yourself in the center of the cross. You are surrounded by light and familiar sounds from childhood.

The audio accompaniment was created from sounds that are associated with different corners of Ukraine and allow you to feel the vibrations of our land: from the whispering noise of forests to the melodious sounds of Carpathian streams.

Each sound is carefully selected.
And together they weave into a single symphony that personifies the diversity of our country.

The singing of Ukraine's forests.

Polissya, Carpathians.

Covers Rivne, Volyn, Zhytomyr, northern districts of Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.

Rustle of the Ukrainian steppe

Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, southern parts of Odesa, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Kirovohrad and Kharkiv regions, as well as the northern plain territory of Crimea.