"The Garden of Children's Dreams": Kherson Region honors the memory of children who died as a result of the full-scale invasion

1+1 Media and the Greening Ukraine Charitable Foundation continue to implement the social initiative" The Garden of Children's Dreams," which aims to honor the memory of every child who died as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As of October 2025, according to data from the Office of the Prosecutor General, 659 children are known to have been killed by Russia, and at least 2,185 wounded. Of these, 229 children have been affected in the Kherson region since the start of the large-scale invasion as a result of Russian aggression: 39 have died.

In early October, the 36th humanitarian mission of the International Headquarters for Assistance to Ukrainians took place in the Kherson region, where, on the initiative of the head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, 36 paradise apple trees were planted in memory of the children of the Kherson region whose lives were taken by the war. The trees will eventually grow into a whole garden.

"Today we are planting trees in memory of our children who, unfortunately, have died in all regions of Ukraine, more than 600 of them. These are not just planted trees, they are the soul and love that should be in every corner of our state, which the enemy is mercilessly attacking – the Russian Federation," said Yevhen Ignatenko, deputy head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration.

In addition to Yevhen Ignatenko, Deputy Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, the head of the Chornobaivska Military Administration, Ihor Dudar, the representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kherson region, Vasyl Donets, veterans, residents of the modular town in the Chornobaivska community, and members of the International Headquarters for Assistance to Ukrainians also joined the tree planting campaign.

"We are grateful for the initiative and the opportunity to participate in this campaign. This is important, first and foremost, as a memorial to our children, those who were innocently killed in the Kherson region and our Chornobaiv community. We face the challenge of reviving the Kherson region. Due to military aggression, our area has been practically burned out. There will be more planting campaigns ahead, which will enable us to restore our ecology," added Ihor Dudar, head of the Chornobaivka village military administration.

The project is being implemented by teams from 1+1 Media, Breakfast with 1+1, and TSN in partnership with the Greening Ukraine Charitable Foundation and with the support of the Business Woman Club and the Brusvyana Garden Center. The mentors are Valentyna Khamayko, host of the Breakfast with 1+1 project on 1+1 Ukraine, and Svyatoslav Hrynchuk, host of TSN.

The Kherson campaign was supported by the Sky of Ukraine Charitable Foundation, Schobeli PL, "Ukraine. Help. Breitscheid Foundation named after St. Lawrence" and the "Maria Chorna Public Initiatives" Charitable Organization as part of the global eco-initiative Greening of the Planet, which aims not only to green the planet, but also to create living monuments that remind us of the most valuable things – childhood, dreams, and the future. In addition to trees, humanitarian aid was delivered to the residents of the Kherson region.

"We are very grateful to the head of the Kherson Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, who emphasized the importance of planting memorial trees as part of the" Garden of Children's Dreams" project about children from the Kherson region in their native region, so that the whole world knows and sees what Russian barbarians are doing to Ukrainian children. We are grateful to Mr. Oleksandr for supporting the initiative and securing the route for volunteers with humanitarian aid. We and our partners were happy to join in, bring the necessary assistance to the residents of the modular town, and plant trees with them, which will eventually grow into a garden, and honor all the victims with a minute of silence," said Hanna Krysiuk, head of the Ukrainian Greening Charitable Foundation.

In total, since the launch of the Garden of Children's Dreams initiative, more than 2,000 memorial trees have been planted in Ukraine. Over 20 planting events have taken place. In addition to the Kherson region, the campaign has covered various other regions, including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Prykarpattia, Rivne, and others.

To learn more about the initiative and watch a TSN report on the planting of memorial trees, follow this link. Ukrainians who have lost children due to the war, as well as anyone else who cares, can apply to participate in the project by filling out the application form at this link.