Kyiv Wall of Memory and spontaneous memorialization. How to honor the memory of all the fallen?
Kyiv's Memorial Wall on Mykhailivs'ka Square no longer has room for new photos of fallen soldiers. Before Russia's full-scale war, this memorial contained almost 5,000 portraits. Being doubled in size, it does not have the names of all the defenders who sacrificed their lives. Relatives and friends honor the fallen by adorning the Wall with flowers, lamps, candles, flags, and funeral wreaths. Faded photos, barely recognizable, remain as a poignant reminder of those who fell in battles. Who are the caretakers of this spontaneous memorial? Does it fit in the square’s ambiance? Is one wall capable of holding the memory of all those who died in the battles of the Russian-Ukrainian war?