The Way to Safety: Kyiv unveils green maze to raise awareness for Ukrainian refugees

A green maze, "The Way to Safety," was opened in Holosiivskyi Park in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, dedicated to refugees and displaced persons forced to flee Russia's war and seek safe places.

The Holosiivskyi District State Administration in Kyiv announced this on their website, Rubryka reports.

What is the problem?

According to the UN, as of June 1, 2023, about 7 million Ukrainians have left for other countries since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Ukrainian citizens were forced to leave their homes, relatives, and everything they were used to, fleeing war and violence. They took a step into nowhere to protect themselves and their loved ones.

What is the solution?

The new art location in Holosiivskyi Park was dedicated to refugees and displaced persons. The labyrinth is called "The Way to Safety" and was created for World Refugee Day in 2022 on the initiative of the Right to Protection Charity Fund and with the support of the UNHCR, which takes care of the problems of refugees and those seeking protection in Ukraine.

How does it work?

The labyrinth covers more than 1,000 m² and has more than 5,000 privet bushes. Art location symbolizes the challenging path displaced people and asylum seekers go through in search of a safe place.

Landscaping was done by designers of Holosiivskyi Park, named after Maksym Rylskyi and the Kyivzelenbud cooperative.

Oleksandr Maltsev, a master of tree trimming and moss sculpture from the eastern Donetsk region, who was twice forced to leave his home due to the war and experienced all the difficulties of the path to safety, worked on the creation of the Way to Safety labyrinth.

A QR code was placed on a sign near the maze. By following it, you can read the stories of refugees and internally displaced persons.