Kharkiv, Ukraine, is approximately 4,500 miles from Montpelier, but in terms of daily life, Kharkiv might well be on another planet. It’s the second largest city in Ukraine, less than 30 miles from the Russian border and has been subjected to relentless bombing for more than four years. Residents have become accustomed to losing heat and electricity in the dead of winter, huddling in subways, listening for alerts, and trying not to hear the explosions.
Since Feb. 24, 2022, much that happens in the city has gone underground. Plays, concerts, and exhibitions are held deep within the city’s subway system. Bombing made the schools unsafe, and parents worried about the isolation of online learning. In 2023 Kharkiv began to plan for the construction of underground schools. Now, 17,000 of Kharkiv’s children travel down into the subway when it’s time for school.
It’s a life that many of Montpelier’s children might find unimaginable.This winter, however, a special project helped fourth graders at Union Elementary School learn about that part of the world and connected them with some of Kharkiv’s children.
Tatyana Ishutkina is the executive director of the Fermata Art Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to promote peace through arts and culture. Headquartered in Connecticut, the foundation seeks to create partnerships between New England cities and those in post-Soviet countries.
Ishutkina reached out to the Kellogg-Hubbard Library suggesting an art exchange.The library, in turn, contacted Kristina Kane, the art teacher at Union Elementary, inviting her and her students to participate. In an email, Kane said, “When I introduced the art exchange project, some students shared that they were aware of the current war in Ukraine. They were very curious about what day-to-day life is like there now and were eager to learn about the city of Kharkiv.”
Working with Kellogg-Hubbard, Kane scheduled an event for mid February, a virtual meeting between UES students and their counterparts in Kharkiv. Artwork from both groups would be displayed in a slideshow.
The art from the Montpelier students was inspired by their study of perspective.
“Rachel Whalen, our principal, has prioritized the value of play in learning and development in our elementary school,” said Kane.“ I think that this foundation of play helped the children to imagine new perspectives.” She also found her own perspective changed as she thought about the resilience of the Ukrainian people, Kane says.
She encouraged her students to think about the natural places they know, to consider how long the same rock or tree had been there and to think about change over time.
The artwork from the Ukrainian children was a response to the prompt “What would happen if animals moved north?”
The art exchange was entitled “Let’s Build a Roof Over the World,” and the virtual event was scheduled for Feb. 10. Given the difficulties of life in a war zone, no one was certain the meeting would actually take place until the day about 100 fourth graders walked from UES to the Hayes Room at the library. There they looked at the screen in front of the room and saw children smiling and waving from the Regional Library of Kharkiv. The library was bright and seemed untouched by war. Some of the Ukrainian children pushed their faces close to the camera and were gently coaxed back by their teachers.
The Montpelier students waved from their places on the floor. Then it was time for questions. Student volunteers stepped up to the microphone to ask questions of their Ukrainian counterparts with the help of Ishutkina, who interpreted for them. They asked about favorite sports and the things kids like to do at home.
When it was the Ukrainians’ turn, some proudly enunciated “What is your name?” in English.
Finally, Kane presented the slideshow. The UES students seemed impressed with the Ukrainian artwork. Fourth grader James Geier Maniscalco noted, “The Ukrainians are … good artists. They really nailed the animals.”
Celeste Randizo Porter was also a fan, saying, “I noticed a lot of plants and animals in their artwork and I would love to go there.”
When they returned to the school, every UES fourth grader received a copy of a Ukrainian artwork.
Afterward, fourth grader Dixie Bradley reflected on the virtual meeting. “They acted like they weren’t going through a war … they were like normal kids and they like football,” she said, adding, “The program is a really good opportunity for kids in the Ukraine to feel happier … a distraction.”
