The educational and art-therapy project Freedom Diaries has been integrated into the curriculum of the 4th and 5th grades at the Ukrainian Saturday School in Vienna. The first lessons have already taken place.

The project team attended the open classes and, together with the teachers, led the sessions for the students. The children worked with the theme “Suitcase of Memory”: on a large shared suitcase, they wrote, drew, glued, and placed everything that feels truly important to them today.

For our team, this is a particularly meaningful step, as it involves the largest Ukrainian school abroad in Europe — a space where hundreds of children every weekend continue to preserve the Ukrainian language, culture, and their connection to home.

We are sincerely grateful to the school’s team for their trust and openness to collaboration. The first feedback confirms that these lessons create an important space for dialogue, creativity, and the strengthening of Ukrainian identity.

Together, we help Ukrainian children grow up with a strong sense of who they are.

For two consecutive days, the Freedom Diaries team worked within the walls of this remarkable building. This time, it was not only a meeting with the teachers of the Ukrainian Sunday School in Vienna, but also a full presentation of the project. Creative Director Mariia Proshkovska and Producer Alina Kochemasova introduced the course to the teaching staff, speaking about its concept, methodology, and possibilities for integration into the educational process.

The meeting concluded with a hands-on workshop: the teachers stepped into the role of their students and worked with one of the graphic novel pages — “The Suitcase of Memory.” This allowed them to fully immerse themselves in the process, experience it from within, and feel the atmosphere of trust and co-creation that lies at the heart of Freedom Diaries.

We are grateful to the school for their openness, warm welcome, and willingness to embrace modern educational approaches for Ukrainian children.

Our second day in London — and Freedom Diaries was already meeting the Ukrainian educational community in the United Kingdom.

On October 13, 2025, we had the honour to present the project during the Autumn Conference of the Association of Ukrainian Teachers in the UK, which brought together educators from more than 30 schools across the country where Ukrainian children are studying.

It was important for us not just to show what we create — but to share how Freedom Diaries helps children stay close to Ukraine, even when they are far from home.

Teachers responded with warmth and engagement: Freedom Diaries resonates with themes that deeply matter to Ukrainian children around the world — identity, culture, freedom, and inner strength.

We didn’t just present — we created together.

We held a workshop where teachers could experience how our art-therapy approach truly works.

The Freedom Diaries bird keeps flying on!

London became the first location to host the presentation of Freedom Diaries — a new educational and art therapy project by the Hrystia Hranovska Foundation, created to support Ukrainian children who were forced to move abroad due to the war.

The presentation took place at St. Mary’s Ukrainian School (AUGB Cultural Centre, 154 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UH), where teachers from Ukrainian schools across the UK gathered to be the first to explore the project’s unique educational and creative tools.

Freedom Diaries is a dedicated space where art, storytelling, and creativity help build a sense of community among Ukrainians — even far from their homeland.

Among the famous Ukrainian guests at the London event were fashion designer and founder of the BEVZA brand Svitlana Bevza, Ukrainian host and journalist Olga Freimut, food blogger and restaurateur Alisa Cooper, designer Yuliya Pelipas, and others.

In October 2025, London became the first location to host the presentation of Freedom Diaries — a new educational and art therapy project by the Hrystia Hranovska Foundation, created to support Ukrainian children who were forced to move abroad because of the war.

A project that teaches expression through art

Freedom Diaries is designed for children aged 9 to 15. It is more than just an educational program — it is a space for reflection, where children can transform pain into inner strength.

At the heart of the project are two illustrated notebooks by artist Alevtyna Kakhidze: “For Children: About Citizenship Of People, Plants And Animals” and “Freedom Workbook”

Each contains dozens of pages for creative exercises that can be started in any order.

According to the organizers, every page is a separate dialogue — one without “right” answers, but with room for personal discovery. Psychologists, artists, and educators worked together on the methodological materials to make them accessible for teachers in Ukrainian schools abroad.

“We want to restore children’s sense of joy and dignity”

Project initiator Khrystyna Khranovska recalls that her previous work, War Diaries: Unheard Voices of Ukrainian Children, explored the pain of war. During international exhibitions, she often met children living abroad who had lost their sense of belonging.

“I saw how they were searching for answers — Who am I, if my home is so far away? That’s when I realized they need a space where they can rediscover themselves and preserve their pride in being Ukrainian. Freedom Diaries was created exactly for that,” — said Khranovska.