On 15 November, the annual human rights campaign “Empty Chairs” took place on Rynok Square in Lviv. The event was dedicated to Ukrainian journalists, writers, cultural figures and human rights defenders who have been unlawfully imprisoned, gone missing or are being held in Russian captivity. The Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Lviv City Council, Andriy Zakalyuk, joined the event.
Rows of empty metal chairs with dark backs were set out on the square, each bearing in white letters the names of Ukrainians who are being held in captivity or are considered missing. The open-air installation is intended to serve as a reminder of those who, because of Russian aggression, cannot be with their families, friends and colleagues. Each chair symbolises an individual human story and the hope for the return of a specific person.
“Today we remember people for whom truth is not just a fine word but a value. The value of their lives, the lives of their loved ones and of our whole country… And this very clearly shows how important it is to speak out and not forget those who are fighting for the truth,” said Andriy Zakalyuk.
Particular attention during the campaign was paid to the story of Mykola Leonovych, a Ukrainian poet, illustrator and book designer who has been considered missing for more than three and a half years. His story was shared by his wife, Maryna Aleksandrovych. According to her, Mykola, the father of two daughters and a regular participant in the Lviv Publishers’ Forum, went to defend his family, Ukraine and Ukrainian culture, but since then there has been no reliable information about his fate.
Maryna Aleksandrovych stressed that Russia is grossly violating the Geneva Conventions and the norms of international humanitarian law by failing to provide information about people held in captivity. She emphasised the importance of Ukrainian society continuing to speak publicly about the crimes of the aggressor state, recording the testimonies of released prisoners and calling on the international community to maintain consistent pressure on Russia.
According to participants in the campaign, such public reminders help keep the stories of prisoners and the missing in focus both in Ukraine and abroad, and this attention must be translated into concrete action in support of them.
According to the Institute of Mass Information, as of 2 November 2026 Russia is holding at least 27 civilian Ukrainian media workers and one journalist who is a member of the military. They include representatives of national and regional media, freelancers and Crimean citizen journalists.
The “Empty Chairs” campaign aims to draw attention to the fate of unlawfully imprisoned civilians and prisoners of war, and to remind people that behind each name stands a real person, their family and their life story. The event was organised by the Georgiy Gongadze Prize, the Lviv Media Forum and INDEX: Institute of Documentation and Interaction.
The date of the event was chosen deliberately: every year on 15 November, the International Day of the Imprisoned Writer, established by the international PEN, is marked. This day is also known as Empty Chair Day. Around the world, the empty chair has become a symbol of those who cannot be present because of imprisonment, persecution, disappearance or death.
The organisers call on society not to remain indifferent, to remember Ukrainians in captivity and not to stop mentioning them in public. For people who are in captivity, it is important to know that they are remembered and that others are fighting for them.
It should be recalled that on 30 May this year, a sign called “Place of Hope” appeared on Rynok Square in Lviv, serving as a reminder of servicemen and servicewomen who are missing or in captivity. The central element of the sign is a chair as a symbol of a free place for those who must return. Metal tokens bearing the names of prisoners and missing defenders of Ukraine are placed around it, and a Tree of Hope has been planted nearby as a sign of faith in their return. One of the paving stones near the installation bears the inscription “A place for those we are waiting for”.
This space in the city centre was created at the request of families of prisoners of war and missing servicemen and servicewomen. The concept was developed by the city’s Department of Architecture and Spatial Development. The metal tokens not only bear the names of those awaited but also create a distinctive chime that recalls each and every one of them.