Almost 10,000 kilometers – that's truly no obstacle for love. Because true love knows no distances. Even during forced separation, it continues to live on the level of emotions, feelings, and the utmost support for the one with whom the heart is connected.

Do you think, dear reader, that in the case of love for one's native land, these words are inappropriate? Quite the opposite! Of course, if for you, dear reader, love for your native land is not just a beautiful phrase that echoes with an empty sound. Because there are individuals for whom it does echo. With emotional emptiness. But I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about those who are inseparable from their native land in heart and spirit. Those who rejoice in its joy. Those who feel its pain.

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Shouldn't we, Ukrainians, know this!? Even though we are scattered across all continents, our thoughts fly there. Because that's where the umbilical cord is buried. Because that's where the origins are. Because that's where our beginning is. Because today, there are tears and pain. And death. And tragedies. And lost hopes. And lost homes. And the uncertainty of tomorrow. Which, despite everything, is held up by faith.

And we, those who are not there, help strengthen this faith. We collect donations for the army. We treat wounded soldiers. We volunteer. We support our relatives. We pray for the day when it will be said: "The war is over!" We pray, even if this prayer takes the form of... paintings on canvas.

This was my long introduction to a story about an important event in the artistic life of Ukrainian Chicago. Words that actually convey its essence, as it is about an art exhibition.

It is titled "9025 km" – the exact distance from Chicago to Kyiv.

It is held at the Ukrainian National Museum, showcasing the works of 12 Ukrainian-American artists, each born in Ukraine but having moved to the USA at different times and now residing in Chicago.

The initiator and inspirational force behind it is Olena Dyadenko, head of branch No. 36 (Chicago) of the Ukrainian Women's League of America, an artist, and tireless volunteer, who is grateful for the organizational help from her fellow union members and museum staff. In an interview with our newspaper, she said: "Each artist presented three works for the exhibition, sharing a piece of their soul, their emotions, their love for their native land, and their concerns for its fate. Yes, thousands of kilometers separate us from Ukraine, but we are united by a common spirit, memory, and resilience. The '9025 km' project aims to draw attention to the ongoing war in Ukraine and highlight the quiet daily pain of Ukrainians abroad. Here, we are asked: 'How is your family?' and we calmly reply: 'Thank you.' We call our relatives in Ukraine and, speaking as if a password: 'How are you?', we want to hear: 'Everything is fine...' And we just want them to answer because it means they are alive... That's why we continue to fight – each on our own front. And in the artistic field in particular. Our exhibition is one of the means of this struggle. Through art, we strive to create a space of empathy, mutual support, and gathering humanitarian aid for Ukraine and its defenders."

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The exhibition runs from April 8 to April 30, 2026. Last Friday, its official presentation took place, attended by Ukrainians and Americans – not just art enthusiasts, but also people who understand and relate to the exhibition's idea. We would like to briefly introduce you, dear readers, to the creative individuals whose works you can see here.

Volodymyr Monastyretsky has lived in Chicago for over 30 years. Ukraine holds a special place in the artist's work. His paintings combine observation, memory, and personal experience. And the belief: wherever we are, there is an inner sense of the road back. Home. Because home is not a place, but what remains with us forever. The exhibition features the paintings "Angels," "Unconquered," "The Road Home."

Luna Prysyazhnyuk. Originally from Zhytomyr. An artist whose practice combines plein air painting, architecture, and abstraction. She has lived in Chicago since 2014. The war in Ukraine significantly influenced her artistic language, making it more direct, honest, and emotionally exposed. The exhibition features the triptych "Memories that Keep at a Distance."

Olena Dyadenko is from Poltava region. Having lived in Chicago for over 30 years, she explores themes of identity, spirituality, and healing in her work, addressing the invisible connections that unite people and shape their experiences. Today, she tells a powerful story of love and war, separation, and devotion. The exhibition features the paintings "Oh, I'm Not Drunk, I'm Just in Love," "Oh, Today My Soul Sings," "Oh, Barefoot to the Edge of the Earth for You."

Maria Plotnikova is from Mariupol. She works with painting and performance. The paintings presented at this exhibition are part of the Cuts series. They reflect on the experience of war through bodily images and emotional states. The artist does not depict violence literally but conveys it through the sensations that remain in the body. The exhibition features three paintings from the "Cuts" series.

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Kateryna Tkachenko is from Poltava region. She moved to the USA in 2016. Ukraine is a source of identity and inner strength for her. Recent events, particularly the war, directly influence her art, giving it new emotional intensity. The exhibition features three works: "Wearing the Vyshyvanka," "Ukrainian Dove of Peace. Keys," "Ukrainian Dove of Peace Blossoms from Within.".

Andriy Didenko – an artist, sculptor, and medical specialist, born in Lviv. He came to the USA in the 90s. Ukraine remains a key reference point for him – a space through which he comprehends the past, present, and the possibility of development. The exhibition features the paintings "Moment of Silence," "Hope is Born Within," "Composition in Two Acts."

Yulia Polyakova was born in Kyiv. She has lived and worked in the USA since 2022. Her work combines graphic design, photography, graphics, painting, and collage. After the start of the full-scale war, her works acquired a distinct emotional tension, featuring Ukrainian symbols and motifs. The theme of loss, memory, and connection with home remains an important part of her art. The exhibition features the paintings "Watching the News," "The Show Must Go On," "The Darkest Night Before Dawn."

Natalia Shutyak – a Ukrainian abstract artist from Rivne. Working mainly with oil and acrylic on canvas, she sees abstraction as a way to remain honest with herself. She moved to the USA in 2022. Her works often explore the fragile boundary between what is revealed and what remains hidden, creating a space for quiet reflection and open dialogue with the viewer. The exhibition features the triptych "Life Continues in Dreams."

Yulia Tkachuk. Grew up and studied in Lviv. She has lived in the United States since 1997. A practicing visual artist. Her works address the boundary between the internal and external – between what is held back and what bursts forth. The works do not explain but create a space for feeling. Silence in them is not an absence, but a state in which the experienced is preserved. The exhibition features the paintings "What is Held Back," "What Emerges," "What is Connected."

 Andriy Antonenko. From Kyiv. Ukraine for him is home and inner support, and childhood experiences associated with the Carpathians became one of the defining factors in shaping his artistic vision. Moving to the USA (2024) and life circumstances prompted a reevaluation – his art has become more focused on internal states and the search for meaning. The exhibition features the works "The Earth Remembers," "The Sky in Scars," "No Ticket Back."

Olena Pak. Born in Kyiv. She moved to Chicago in 1994. One of the central ideas of the artist's work is the uniqueness of each person, including the author herself. Ukrainian culture continues to be an important source of inspiration and the foundation of her artistic thinking. The exhibition features the diptych "Where the Fallen Become Flowers" and the painting "Awaiting Morning in Kyiv."

Marta-Sofia Fraser. Originally from the city of Stryi in the Lviv region. A composer, pianist, vocalist, and songwriter for children and adults. In the USA, her activities are closely linked to art and charity. Already in emigration (2017), she became fascinated with the decorative art form of paper cutting. The exhibition features three works by the artist in the paper cutting technique – a triptych titled "Parallel Worlds."

I believe, dear reader, that even from the individual titles of the creative works presented at the exhibition, you understood what it is about. I will complement your understanding with some verbal strokes.

This exhibition is about hope, which we create ourselves, because without it, it is impossible to endure the realities... About a world that seems to have gone mad... About becoming accustomed even to what should not be accustomed to... About red flowers sprouting from black soil, like traces of blood spilled on the ground... About a restless sleep when thunder outside your Chicago apartment window evokes associations: where did it hit this time, because you recently came from there, where it still hits... About the lost peace of the sky, scarred by fear... About keys to homes that no longer exist... About moments when you need peace to think not about losses, but about searching – for yourself and your place in this world... About separation and loyalty, when he is at war, and she waits with hope for a meeting... About faith that after darkness, light will surely triumph... About children protected by the hands of the Savior... And about a sunflower standing amidst fire – scorched but unyielding...

Yes, these paintings carry deep meanings. And they touched everyone who came to the exhibition presentation, which was emotionally complemented by the performances of creative people from the Ukrainian community – vocalists Diana Kutytska, Adriana Zam, Marta-Sofia Fraser, Khrystyna Musiy, Vira Boiko, cimbalist Mykola Stefuryak, musician and sound engineer Volodymyr Fedorovych.

Let us remind you that the exhibition runs until April 30. So each of you, dear readers, can still come here. Either to simply view and enrich yourself with the emotions shared by the artists or to purchase their paintings. Because the funds from their sale will go towards supporting the fight for a peaceful day for the native land. In the name of that love that knows no borders. In the name of that love for which 9025 kilometers is not an obstacle. Because it is love for you, Ukraine.

 

P.S. On behalf of the organizers and participants of the exhibition, Ms. Olena Dyadenko expresses sincere gratitude for the sponsorship support to the "Samopomich" credit union, the "Heritage" foundation, the "Magic Jug" restaurant, for informational support – to the "Surma" newspaper and Radio UA Chicago, Ukrainian Independent Radio, and the "Ukrainian Wave" radio