The Light for Ukraine event starts on Senate Square at 17.00. This year’s event focuses on Ukrainian children and their families, who have been deeply affected by the conflict. Throughout the war, the City of Helsinki has supported the children and youth of our Ukrainian partner city Dnipro, for instance, by organising summer camps for them in Finland and donating musical instruments to children who have lost their loved ones in the fighting.
The programme will include performances from Ukrainian choirs as well as greetings from the Mayor of Helsinki Daniel Sazonov and Ukraine's Ambassador to Finland Mykhailo Vydoinyk. Finnish state leadership and diplomats from around the world will also attend. The event will end with a rendition of the Finlandia hymn, as sung by a Tapiola Choir ensemble.
Starting at 16.30, 2,000 candles will be distributed by the organisers for public use. You can also place a candle of your own on the steps of the Helsinki Cathedral from 15.00 onwards. After the event, the candles will be collected by the Ukrainian Association in Finland and sent to the front in Ukraine, where their wax will be repurposed as a source of energy and light.
From 23 to 25 February, Senate Square and the buildings surrounding it will be illuminated in the colours of the Ukrainian flag as a tribute to the victims of the war.
You can also participate in the event remotely through social media by posting a picture of a candle or a candle emoji. The hashtags for this event are #WeMustNotForget and #WeStandWithUkraine.
The Light for Ukraine event is organised by the Lutheran Church in Helsinki, Mothersforpeace ry, and the Ukrainian Association in Finland, in cooperation with the City of Helsinki, the University of Helsinki, the Prime Minister’s Office, and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Finland.
