The municipality of Eindhoven unveiled a monument on Clausplein in the city centre to mark the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The artefact features a memorial bench and a hedgehog, symbolising the city’s solidarity with the thousands of displaced people who have sought refuge in the region. Mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who attended the ceremony, affirmed that Eindhoven would always continue to support the Ukrainian community. Many Alderpersons and councillors were also present.
Since the start of the conflict, Eindhoven has provided shelter to hundreds of residents who fled their homes. While Ukrainian flags were a common sight in the city immediately after February 2022, they have gradually disappeared from public view. Rather than quietly removing the flag at the town hall, the municipality of Eindhoven sought to create a lasting symbol of connection.
Unveiling the monument
The afternoon began with an exhibition, Flight, Fight or Freeze, at the Kazerne, followed by a march to Clausplein for the unveiling. The ceremony was led by Fulco Treffers, who focuses on rebuilding efforts in Ukraine. Other speakers included Ukrainian consul Volodymyr Hrabovenko, designer Sofiia Bondar, and co-initiator Misha Mazepa. Around 200 people attended the event, many of them draped in Ukrainian flags.
Ukrainian artist and architect Sofiia Bondar, along with Mykhailo Mazepa, designed the monument. It consists of a bench built next to a steel Czech hedgehog. The hedgehog is an anti-tank obstacle used to block advancing military vehicles. The designers explained that the monument symbolises the defence of Kyiv. It also demonstrates the power of culture to bring about positive change.
Pensive Ukrainians
Youri, a Ukrainian expat who moved to the Netherlands before the war, reflected on the anniversary, noting that while the initial shock has faded, people have had to learn to live with this reality. But he affirms,” We will never get over it”. Pavlo Barvinko, chairperson of the Ukrainian Foundation in Eindhoven, expressed gratitude for the solidarity shown by the Mayor and the municipality in erecting the memorial. After the unveiling, the crowds marched to the city hall for the lowering of the Ukrainian flag.
The bench is engraved with lines from the poem ‘Waiting for the Violets’ by Maksym Kryvtsov, a young Ukrainian poet who died in combat in 2024. The stark lines of the poem stirred hearts;
“People you know become soldiers,
children you know become soldiers,
When I’m asked what war is, I will answer without hesitation: names.”
NEWS BRAINPORT
