"Unchildish stories: children's rights violated by russia" — the new collection of the Civilian Voices Museum of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation

The aggressor country ignores international law, the laws of war, as well as the basic principles of child protection. They are stipulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in other international and national legislative acts.

On the occasion of International Children's Day, the Civilian Voices Museum of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation presented a new thematic collection "Unchildish stories: children's rights violated by russia".

What principles of the Convention has russia already neglected? The Museum's new collection contains stories about irreparable losses and great victories of Ukrainian families. Watch and listen at bit.ly/3ONW5qd

"States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life".

The Convention begins with these words. Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, hundreds of children have died. Three of them are from the family of Volodymyr Obodzinsky. A russian bomb killed his entire family. In particular, a teenage son and twin grandchildren. His story: bit.ly/3WNjcTJ

"States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will".

Yevhen Mezhevoy's three children survived the blockade of Mariupol, their father's imprisonment and were sent to a boarding house near Moscow. There was already talk of their adoption by the russians, but Yevhen managed to get his children back. His story: bit.ly/3OPFfXM

"States Parties shall take measures to combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children abroad".

10-year-old Ilya lost his mother in his hometown and was injured. Enemy soldiers took him to temporarily occupied Donetsk for treatment. Many wounded children were sent by plane to Moscow from the local hospital. Ilya told the russians that he would wait for his grandmother. His story: bit.ly/43aSZkl

"The education of the child shall be directed to: the development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate".

Valentina Chernyuk is the mother of 4 adopted children. The family lives in the Kherson region: the part of it that came under occupation. It became scary for her when the russians began to force her to send her children to russian-language schools. Her story is here:  bit.ly/3MPM3SP

Russia's aggression was also reflected in other children's rights. It is not normal when a baby is born in a basement without medical help. It is not normal when a child with a disability loses sleep and is afraid to go outside. It is not normal when children are left without a childhood - only because a neighboring country decided to rewrite history... The Museum's new collection is about such children's destinies.

Every story about the war is important. To preserve the memory for a better future, tell your story on the portal of the Civilian Voices Museum https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/ or on the toll-free hotline (800) 509 001.