Mother's marigolds: an installation of marigolds and flowers was created in Kropyvnytskyi for Heroes' Day

In Kropyvnytskyi, on the occasion of Heroes' Day celebrated on May 23, a composition titled "Mother's Forget-Me-Nots" was created to remind the residents of the ongoing cost of war. The installation featured 44 pairs of combat boots, with each pair containing a forget-me-not flower.

"These are our Ukrainian flowers, and the yellow color symbolizes memory," explained Inna Kolpak, a co-organizer of the event.

Heroes' Day is an unofficial state holiday established to honor all fighters for Ukraine's freedom, from ancient times to the present day. The holiday was initiated at a meeting of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists in 1941, with the date chosen to commemorate the day when the head of the OUN leadership, Yevhen Konovalets, was assassinated in Rotterdam in 1938.

The choice of yellow forget-me-not flowers in the installation is significant. According to the co-organizer, they used worn-out boots that were no longer suitable for wearing. The boots are arranged facing east, serving as a reminder of where the war began. They are no longer suitable for use as they have dried out, and the soles are coming apart.

Mothers, wives, and sisters of soldiers who have lost their lives in the conflict since 2014 participated in the event.

"It is our hope that this event reminds people that the war continues, that they do not forget our sons and husbands who perished, and that they remember. Because without this, there will be no Ukraine," said Irina Kancer, the mother of Serhiy Kancer, who died on April 8, 2022.

According to Inna Kolpak, the composition will be displayed in the public space "PEACE 2.0" as long as the forget-me-not flowers are in bloom.