Children turn shattered Kyiv hotel windows into public art

Children in Kyiv have transformed wooden panels covering windows damaged in a Russian missile strike into paintings of Ukrainian ornaments and flowers at Hotel Ukraina. The installation has become a symbol of resilience as the hotel continues restoration nearly a month after the attack.

Why it matters: - The project turns visible damage from war into a public display of resilience in central Kyiv. - The painted panels are set to outlast the temporary repairs and become part of Hotel Ukraina’s interior. - The effort gives the city a symbolic response to the May 24 strike, when nearby buildings were hit and dozens of windows were shattered.

What happened: - Wooden boards covering broken windows at Hotel Ukraina were painted by local children after a recent Russian missile attack in central Kyiv. - The hotel sits overlooking Independence Square and remains under restoration nearly a month after the strike. - The damaged windows became canvases for traditional Ukrainian ornaments, flowers and colorful artwork. - Thirteen-year-old Liubava Malitska was among the first young artists to take part. - Malitska works in Petrykivka painting, a traditional Ukrainian decorative style recognized on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The details: - The strike on May 24 caused significant damage to Hotel Ukraina and the neighboring Hotel Dnipro. - The blast wave shattered dozens of windows and damaged parts of both buildings’ facades and interiors. - Hotel Ukraina is one of Ukraine’s largest and oldest hotels. - Maksym Krippa owns Hotel Ukraina through ARS Capital. - ARS Capital said the artworks will be preserved after the damaged windows are replaced. - The company plans to keep the paintings as part of the hotel’s interior as a wartime reminder. - Krippa said the paintings represent the resilience, creativity and hope of Ukrainian children. - Malitska said painting on large wooden panels was a new experience. - Malitska said the paint takes almost a full day to dry, which requires extra care. - The installation now functions as an unexpected public art display in the center of Kyiv.

Between the lines: - The project reframes temporary repairs as a cultural statement, not just a construction fix. - The use of children’s art adds a civilian, hopeful counterpoint to the destruction caused by the strike. - Preserving the panels inside the hotel suggests the artwork is intended to become part of the property’s long-term identity. - The initiative also reinforces Petrykivka painting as a living symbol of Ukrainian cultural continuity.

What's next: - Restoration at Hotel Ukraina is continuing. - The temporary wooden panels will be removed when the damaged windows are replaced. - The painted works will then be incorporated into the hotel’s interior.

The bottom line: - In central Kyiv, a war-damaged hotel window has become a canvas for a message of endurance, memory and hope.