Kyiv, Ukraine. The beginning of the Youth for Peace initiative.
The genesis of the multinational Youth for Peace initiative began when a Russian group of friends traveled to Kyiv in November 2021 to meet students from the Sofia Waldorf School. The visit quickly developed into a close relationship. For a birthday party in the same month, the young people met in a small house in the countryside that they could barely fit into. They slept on the stove, cooked crab salad together, and sang songs to the sound of a half-broken accordion. A small miracle happened in this tiny house—the young people realized how close they were in spirit. At the time, none of them had any idea that the relationship between their two countries of origin would develop so tragically and quickly. In February 2022, the young people formed a group on Telegram called Youth for Peace. They began to meet weekly on Zoom. The most important thing for them at first was to see each other and support each other. At first, they skipped sensitive topics and instead talked about things that brought them closer together, such as love, friendship, psychology, and science. Then, they cautiously began to talk about the war.
More The friends of Youth for Peace on Telegram
Translation Charles Cross
Image Youth for Peace
