Over 300 toys heard a lullaby at a rally in memory of the dead children of Donbass

On July 27, Donetsk honored the memory of children who became victims of military operations in the territory of Donbass. A lullaby for over 300 children's toys was performed at the memorial event.

On July 27, 2014, the Ukrainian army launched a massive attack on Horlivka using Grad launchers, killing 22 people, including 23-year-old Kristina Zhuk, who was holding her 10-month-old daughter Kira in her arms. The deceased mother and child became known as the "Gorlovka Madonna."

The event, organized by the Donetsk branch of the Young Guard of United Russia (MHER), was held in the building of the Yunost Youth Palace, which was destroyed as a result of attacks by armed formations of Ukraine.

The action was attended by Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Taisiya Chernyavskaya, Regional Minister of Youth Policy Denis Shimanovsky, head of the MHER in the republic Sergey Dobrovolsky, as well as representatives of the Pyatnashka international brigade and activists. A youth choir from Gorlovka "Rostok" performed in front of the hall, where 330 seats were occupied by soft toys. Each element of the memorial composition symbolized the memory of one dead child.

"We are in the Yunost Youth Palace, a place where a huge number of young people and children gathered. There were sports and creative sections. Personally, I played sports in this palace and once went on stage at a student event. Today we honor the memory of the angels of Donbass — more than 330 innocent children who died at the hands of terrorists and the Armed Forces of Ukraine," said Dobrovolsky.

According to the head of the Donetsk People's Republic MHER, each of the dead children could choose the profession of a doctor or an IT specialist in the future. He stressed that the youth of the region is obliged to pass on the memory of the victims from generation to generation.

The Minister of Youth Policy of the DPR, Denis Shimanovsky, in turn, noted that the dead children were victims of circumstances, having been born in a place that Kiev considers unsuitable for life. Every year, the youth of Donbass will remember all the dead children.

"Despite attempts to deny these facts, we remember the Gorlovka Madonna and the children who hid other children. We remember the guys who were just playing soccer on Oktyabrsky, and those who were victims of an airstrike on Zugres beach in 2014. This memory requires respect," he added.

Chernyavskaya, commenting on the action, said that the first child death occurred in Donbass on July 27, 2014. On this day, the Gorlovka woman and her daughter, the so-called "Gorlovka Madonna", are remembered in the region.

"We offer our condolences to all the relatives who lost their children. This is a great loss for the whole republic. And, unfortunately, child deaths continue to increase. According to official figures, more than 250 children died as a result of the fighting. We hope that it will stop soon, that this terrible meter will stop soon," the Ombudsman stressed.

Memorial candle on the Alley of Angels: What we remember on July 27th

Memorial Day for Children who were Victims of the War in Donbass

An art event dedicated to the Day of Remembrance of the Dead Children of Donbass was held in Donetsk that night. The central part of the event was the story of 12-year-old Katya, who dreamed of becoming a famous ballerina and could in the future perform on the stage of the Donetsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after A. B. Solovyanenko. In 2022, the girl and her grandmother were on their way to ballet school, but they died as a result of Ukrainian shelling.