Such is the name of a contest whose results have been summarized at the Palace of the Arts of Children and Youth in Kyiv’s Pechersk district, where the project bearing the same name was presented to the public and the winners of the nationwide contest of children’s drawings collected their prizes. The project has been implemented courtesy of an all- Ukrainian environmental organization, MAMA-86, and cosponsored by the Center for International Development Research (Ottawa) and the UN Development Program. The aim of the undertaking is to attract public attention to the problems of the Dnipro. The drawing contest lasted from May 15 through September 1. Having studied every work in detail, the jury summarized the results. The contest encompassed virtually all of Ukraine, with 338 children submitting a total of 584 drawings. Perhaps for some of them this was the first big success in their lives. Nonetheless, according to the jury, every work is worthy of a first prize since all of the young artists’ drawings came straight from the heart, showing their deep concern with the problems of our legendary river. This was the first time their sensibility and responsibility for the fate of the environment were put to the test. If only they will be able to preserve this attitude and remain true to their beliefs when they grow up!
The project centered around twelve environmental issues. Of these, Water is a Source of Life on Earth, Water Circulation in Nature, Where is the Dnipro’s Wellspring?, The Marvelous World of the Dnipro’s Nature were arguably the most exciting. The contest also featured works dedicated to the Chornobyl catastrophe subsumed under the title, Chornobyl, Our Pain. At times, the young artists used unconventional materials, such as sand, seashells, dried leaves, insects, seeds, beads, and thread. Apart from the main prizes, 159 more contestants received awards for their active participation. While the first prize went to a 12-year-old Kseniya Rodniak for her work, Prince Dnipro, which the jury believed to most fully convey the idea of the contest. On the whole, girls proved more active, accounting for 76% of the contestants, while boys submitted only 23% of the works, and two group works were submitted. The children’s works have been used as illustrations in a thematic educational calendar for 2003, while the MAMA-86 staff selected interesting materials to complement them. All those participating in the contest and attending the presentation have received similar calendars to serve as a reminder of this important undertaking made possible thanks to children’s efforts.
