Memorial Events

Where there is grief, there is also hope. Our memorial events provide Ukrainians a meaningful way to honor our fallen soldiers and our heroes defending our homeland. Local Dutch residents participating in our memorial events don’t know how much their support and solidarity is appreciated.

  • Ukraine at the 54th Poetry International Festival Rotterdam 

    Ukraine at the 54th Poetry International Festival Rotterdam 

    This week, from June 6 to 9, the largest poetry festival in the country took place in the Netherlands – the 54th Poetry International Festival Rotterdam. Oksana Stomina, a Ukrainian poet from Mariupol, was invited to the festival.

  • Liberation Day, which the Dutch and Ukrainians spent together

    Liberation Day, which the Dutch and Ukrainians spent together

    On May 5, the day when the Netherlands celebrates the Day of Liberation from the Nazi Occupiers, members of the Ukrainian community also took part in various events organised to mark this date to emphasise the importance of freedom.

  • “I dream of the sea and the surfing and big seagulls”. 

    “I dream of the sea and the surfing and big seagulls”. 

    On World Poetry Day, March 21, at the Design Museum Dedel in The Hague, we organised a unique poetry evening in memory of Maksym Kryvtsov, a warrior of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a poet who died at the age of 33 at the beginning of 2024 in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

  • Two Years of Full Scale Invasion

    Two Years of Full Scale Invasion

    On February 24, 2024, the Ukrainian community came together in Rotterdam to commemorate those who have fought for their country’s freedom and paid the ultimate price. VATAHA facilitated a three-part art installation at the Rotterdam central station where mourners could remember and honor those they have lost. 

  • RUN FOR UKRAINE 2023

    RUN FOR UKRAINE 2023

    Nearly 300 athletes ran for the Glory of Ukraine on Saturday at VATAHA’s second annual Run for Heroes in Den Haag – more than 3 times the amount of participants than last year’s event in Rotterdam. Thanks to the generous support of HAAG Athletics, The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Fortitude Foundation,…

  • Memorial walk in Rotterdam

    Memorial walk in Rotterdam

    On 24/02 we remembered one year of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine. This day was filled with pain, longing and sadness, but together we showed a strong spirit and determination in the fight for our freedom and independence. The Netherlands and Rotterdam have become a safe haven for many Ukrainians who sought refuge from…

  • Memorial walk in The Hague

    Memorial walk in The Hague

    We extend our sincere gratitude to all who joined us at our memorial event on 24 of February in The Hague, as we marked the one-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Russia to Ukraine. Your presence and support meant a great deal to us. During the ceremony, we had the honor of awarding Ukrainian…

  • Holodomor Memorial

    Holodomor Memorial

    Traditionally, on the last Saturday of November, Ukraine remembers those who died during the three famines of the 20th century. On 26/11, we organized a silent information campaign in Rotterdan, where we distributed booklets about the Holodomor and attributes-symbols of the Holodomor (a candle and an ear of wheat) to passers-by. Additionally, we prepared different…

  • Run for Heroes

    Run for Heroes

    In memory of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers, VATAHA organized a Run for Heroes throughout Rotterdam in August 2022. Each of the 80 participants ran a distance of 2km under the name of someone they had lost — in many cases a personal friend or cherished loved one.