To mark International Family Day, a special event titled “Family Circle: Traditions That Unite Communities” was held as part of the national project “Side by Side: United Communities,” with the participation of the Sartana, Mangush, Mykolaiv, Chyhyryn, and Staryi Sambir communities.
The event brought people together in the cozy atmosphere of the “Heart of the East” IDP Support Center in Lviv, as well as gathered participants online in front of their screens. Despite the distance, we all came together as one big family!
The event began with a moment of silence to honor the memory of those who, because of the war, will never again sit with their loved ones at the family table. This empty space in our homes will forever remind us of the price of freedom, but at the same time, it is the bright memory of the fallen that becomes the strength that helps us hold on and continue the fight.
Afterward, each community shared their family traditions, which are passed down from generation to generation and help preserve identity even in the most difficult times.
A special moment was the creation of the “Tree of Traditions and Wishes.” On colorful sticky notes, participants in the hall and online wrote down their most cherished dreams—of peace, strong families, and the inevitable return home. These heartfelt words became a symbol of our shared roots, which no wind can break.
Based on materials from the Sartana Settlement Military Administration