26 September 2025
(PHOTOS: Odesa City Hall)
A working group that is developing a concept for a memorial to fallen soldiers that will unite existing military graves and create an interfaith chapel for all religions.
During a meeting with the families of the fallen heroes and veterans' organizations on September 26, three tombstone shapes were chosen - each in two variations. <span> </span><span> </span>
Samples of materials for their manufacture - granite and sandstone - were also presented. They discussed the program of events for the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, which will be celebrated on October 1. <span> </span> The program includes memorial ceremonies, meetings with veterans, educational initiatives, and cultural events designed to unite the community around memory, gratitude, and shared responsibility. <span> </span>
<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>In August,<span> </span> will be live on Int. Insight with David Pishchev, PhD in architecture and a practitioner in the field of memorial studies, discussed the creation of the Memorial to the Fallen Defenders of Ukraine. The memorial will include three existing burial plots around the runway, which will be combined into a single structure without reburial.
The project plans to create an interfaith chapel accessible to all religions and atheists, as well as columbaria to preserve the ashes and future military burials.<span> </span>In addition, the memorial will have a small park to protect the area from north<span> </span>and west winds, and an abstract sculpture for personal expressions of grief - drawings, stickers, and other creative signs of remembrance.
The Committee of Mothers and Wives of Fallen Soldiers, which includes about 400 people, as well as the military, NGOs, chaplains, and city officials, is actively involved in the project development. According to the architect, the main task now is to define the boundaries of the territory and zoning, while the direct implementation of the tombstones and memorials will begin after public hearings and the general memorial will be implemented after the war. The memorial project was developed over two months and involved teams of architects, sculptors, designers, and art installation specialists. The design takes into account standards of inclusiveness, fire safety and wind protection, as well as the ability of visually impaired people to visit the memorial without hindrance.
Кирило Бойко