In the centre of Lviv, on Rynok Square, a symbolic space called “Place of Hope” has been opened — a chair that embodies the place kept for the return of prisoners of war and missing defenders, both men and women. The space was created together with the families of service personnel.
The marker takes the form of a wooden chair, around which about 450 tags bearing the names of service personnel are arranged. When the wind blows, the tags chime, creating a symbolic sound — a reminder of those whom their loved ones are still waiting for.
The idea of a permanent place that would serve as a daily reminder of prisoners of war and those missing in action originated among the families of the defenders. Next to it, on the cobblestones, the words have been laid out: “A place for those we are waiting for”. The mother of missing service member Marjan Zavydivsky, who has been listed as missing for 4 years and 17 days, Mrs Oksana, was the first to hang a tag with her son’s name, symbolically opening the space.
Lviv’s Mayor, Andriy Sadovyi, stressed at the opening that thousands of Lviv residents, Ukrainians and foreign delegations pass through Rynok Square every day, and that from now on each of them will be able to pause by this place of hope and faith. He thanked the families for the idea of marking out the space and all those who helped bring this memorial symbol to life, expressing the shared hope that all defenders, men and women alike, will return to their homes.
The Chief Architect of Lviv, Anton Kolomeitsev, who conceived the idea, explained that the chair of remembrance was meant to become a symbol of faith in the Heroes’ return and a sign that they are remembered. Around it are placed military tags with the defenders’ names, which “jingle” in the wind. According to him, there are currently about 450 tags here, but relatives continue to have more made, so the number will increase. He noted that the organisers would like each tag to be taken down personally by the soldier whose name it bears when they return home.
Liliya Didchyk, the wife of marine infantryman Yaroslav Nikulin, who is missing, spoke about the scale of the problem of missing service personnel. She noted that representatives of the families of missing marines from the 38th Brigade, the 503rd Battalion and the 140th Separate Reconnaissance Brigade had united on their own initiative and are trying to draw attention to the situation, because, as she put it, in 2025, on the Pokrovsk front line, many marines went missing en masse, and at present there is no information about them at all.
Next to the “Place of Hope” a tree of hope has been planted, with the participation of the relatives of prisoners of war and missing defenders, men and women. The head of the civic movement “Free Them All”, Alina Vlasenko, said that in December representatives of the families approached the city council with a request to create a space — a symbol of faith and hope — and thanked them for their support and for the initiative to make the tags.