“Stronger than a bricks” celebrates its anniversary and completes its media journey

One of the B50 media projects is completed! The first photo exhibition, one of the projects of the Country of volunteers program, which aims to promote volunteering, has completed its year-long journey across Ukraine.

The photo exhibition “Stronger than bricks” is a traveling media project about the unbreakable volunteers of the B50 community, which was one of the first to start restoring the liberated communities from the effects of russian aggression.

The photos show activists helping the affected residents of Kyiv region. They are making the first step towards reconstruction – cleaning up houses destroyed by shells, eliminating the consequences of armed aggression, and preserving damaged homes.

The aim of the project was to inspire viewers with the resilience of active Kyiv residents and residents of the capital’s agglomeration and to motivate them to join the “recovery volunteering”.

The first exhibition of “Stronger than bricks” was organized with the support of the Department of Public Communications of the Kyiv City State Administration. The photo exhibition was presented symbolically on the Day of Kyiv on the glass pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Volodymyrskyi Descent. The exhibition stayed at this location for a month.

In June 2023, the exhibition went on an all-Ukrainian tour that lasted for a year.

The media journey of “Stronger than a bricks” began in Kyiv on an unbreakable bridge that withstood an enemy missile attack and ended in unbreakable Kherson, which bravely withstood the russian occupation.

Fedkovych National University of Chernivtsi

During this trip, the photos of B50 volunteers were exhibited in a variety of locations: bridges, parks, museums, palaces of culture, tourist hubs, libraries, city councils, educational institutions and popular shopping malls.

exhibitions
in museums and centers

exhibitions
in the open air

months
on the road

The photo exhibition inspired volunteering across the country. She visited most regions of Ukraine, both in the west and in the east, and visited cities that have been affected by the russian invasion and where the support of volunteers is needed to help the victims.

regions

cities

locations

The success of the first B50 photo exhibition inspired us to create another project, “Chronicles of the Unknown ~~Superheroes~~ Ukrainians“, which aims to thank the members of our community for their resilience, who, even under constant rocket fire, do not leave the path of volunteering, and to demonstrate to foreigners the will of Ukrainians to help each other in difficult times of war.

Ruslan Habdulov, director of B50 NGO:

“Stronger than bricks” was our first, somewhat naive media project. In it, we told part of our story – to recognize the work of B50 volunteers and to motivate people in different parts of Ukraine by their example.

I am pleased to close this project, whose 365-day life cycle has just ended, because I am doing so with a sense of accomplishment. An additional effect that we didn’t expect when we started this project was that it inspired us to do better and more ambitious media projects that are being implemented now or will be implemented in the future.

We are sincerely grateful to everyone who helped us create this photo exhibition and became a part of it:

photographers Artem Rudokvas, Iryna Rehesha, Oleh Panasiuk, Nataliia Hryniuk, Ihor Strembitskyi, and Ivan Yershov;
photo retoucher Denis Herasimov;
editors Anastasiia Lypchak and Svitlana Rudokvas;
PR specialist Nataliia Hryniuk;
designer Anastasiia Prokofieva;
volunteers of the B50.

“The exhibition was interesting for the staff and visitors.”
Oleksandr Bulyha, director of the Rivne Regional Museum of Local Lore

“A good approach to the work and popularization of the organization”

Vitalii Savin, director of the Khmelnytskyi Museum and Studio of Photographic Art

We would also like to thank those who helped us organize the first B50 photo exhibition in Ukrainian cities – directors of institutions, local administrations, and activists.

“It’s a very good idea with the exhibition. Many people were interested and visited the exhibition in Chernivtsi.

Such works motivate us to keep working for the Victory and rebuilding our country.

Visitors were usually impressed. They looked at the photos carefully and asked questions. They noted that we need to hold more such exhibitions in the city.”
Volodymyr Kryzhanovskyi, Chernivtsi, Fedkovych National University of Chernivtsi

“Impressive photos, I really liked the exhibition)) It’s a pity that it was available to visitors for such a short time.

I was pleasantly surprised by the way the people in the photos desperately and selflessly joined the volunteer initiative and began to help restore the buildings.

We were emotionally affected by the scale of the destruction, because these are people’s homes and lives.”
Yevhen Safarians, Deputy Director of the Vinnytsia Museum

“It’s a great idea! The photos call for action, set an example, because active people inspire, motivate, and energize everyone.

Visitors to our library were amazed at how people can unite in difficult times and do important things unselfishly.

We are very grateful for the opportunity to join such a project.”
Tetiana Lysenko, Head of the Service Department of the Central Library of the Nemyshlyany District Central Library

We are proud to show Ukraine the work of volunteers who are helping to eliminate the consequences of the russian invasion, because it is important not only to help those in need, but also to inspire others by example. What started as a collection of photos taken during volunteer trips has turned into a full-scale photo exhibition dedicated to volunteering. We hope that it has fulfilled its mission by showing not only how easy it is to start your volunteering journey, but also by reminding us of the consequences the enemy leaves Ukraine with.

We are pleased to celebrate the completion of this project, this stage in the development of the community, which has inspired us to new achievements, given us a lot of experience and will forever leave its mark on the history of B50.

Information about this project will be available on the “Stronger than Bricks” project page.