Four days before the U.S. presidential election, three Ukrainian activists gathered at a stranded fence in New York City’s East Village to hang an expansive information poster. “19546+ Ukrainian Children Abducted by Russia,” reads its headline in bold. From a black canvas, white letters jump out at the passersby, a haunting reminder of the toll the Russian invasion continues to inflict on Ukrainian families.
The poster provides context for the viewers of “Empty Beds,” a public photo installation by American artist Phil Buehler, who visited a housing project for displaced Ukrainian children near Kyiv last year and captured the vast emptiness of their temporary lodgings.
His eight-foot tall, block-long mural, depicting beds strewn with stuffed animals and other toys, but no children, opened on Saturday, October 26, at 44 2nd Avenue. Its timing was deliberate.
“The American voter’s head is filled with the economy, abortion, the border, the rule of law,” Buehler said over borscht at Veselka, a beloved Ukrainian restaurant in the neighborhood, where he met with the activists to discuss further plans, ahead of the election. “I’m hoping that this story will come in a more emotional level, especially for the undecided voter. Maybe then they will be able to make their decision.”
The Ukrainian volunteers, Ganna Smirnova, Vsevolod Myrnyi and Zhanna Galeyeva, debated ways to expand the reach of the poster’s message. They wondered whether they had enough time to distribute leaflets with the same information in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and other battleground states.
“If anyone can get it done, it’s these guys,” Buehler said of his collaborators.
Within 24 hours, Smirnova and Myrnyi had reached out to friends in Philadelphia for help, Galeyeva had commissioned the leaflet’s design – done by Isaac Yeung, and by the end of the weekend, the process of distribution was up and running. To spread the leaflets across state lines, Galeyeva sent out an electronic version to Ukraine supporters in different cities, who printed them and posted them in local public spaces. The leaflets focus on the abductions of children as a reminder of the situation in Ukraine. The activists hoped that by the end of the day, these leaflets will have reached sites in Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, and Wisconsin.
Ukrainian activists have struggled to capture American voters’ attention since the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated. However, according to Smirnova, the issue of abducted children strikes a chord across party lines. In March 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the Russian military’s forcible deportation of Ukrainian children, with only nine representatives – all Republican – voting against it.
“By organizing this exhibition, we aim to shock, engross, and inform the local public,” Smirnova said. “We want the passer-by to think of ways they could change what is going on for the better. This is just the beginning. We are prepared to adapt our work pace to any outcome of the election and communicate our needs to both candidates with conviction.”
The activists are not endorsing a particular candidate, but hope that such a reminder will urge voters to think twice before marking the circle for the candidate who indulges in private calls with Putin.
With the full-scale war nearing 1,000 days in November and troubling escalation on the battleground – according to the U.S. government, 8000 North Korean troops are about to enter the front, Ukrainians in the U.S. are increasingly worried about the situation back home. Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to end the war in 24 hours, a statement that has inspired more disquiet than relief among the community. His running mate, JD Vance, said in 2022, “I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine.”
“Trump still doesn’t understand that if you try to reason with Putin, nothing happens, there is nothing behind his eyes,” Myrnyi said. “North Korea, Iran, China, Russia are all fighting together, and Ukraine will be left to fend for itself. We continue to lose people and territory.”
Whatever happens on Tuesday, the activists are prepared to keep up the fight to advance military aid and humanitarian support for Ukraine in an uncertain time. In the past three months, they have organized protests at the White House gate, a commemorative gathering at Times Square in honor of Ukraine’s Defender’s Day, and a widely covered protest against Russian athletes participating in the Paris Summer Olympics. They also continue to volunteer back home.
Galeyeva, who has lived in the U.S. for the past 19 years and is an American citizen, temporarily moved back to Ukraine when war broke out and established “Bird of Light,” a non-profit organization that, she said, aims to “adapt to the changing needs of the country and fill in the gaps”; current projects include the establishment of new community-based childcare services and the restoration of critical infrastructure in ravaged areas. A registered U.S. voter, Galeyeva tries to keep as busy as she can to deal with the anxiety ahead of the election.
“I will come to the polls wearing a Ukrainian flag,” she said. “It’s such a nerve-wracking time, so I’m trying to figure out what else I can do.”
Meanwhile, like her colleagues, she is hoping that Buehler’s outdoor exhibit in Manhattan and the leaflets it inspired will remind voters of what is at stake in Ukraine.
“It’s the battle of darkness against light,” she said.
(Photo credit: Stefania Bern)
About the author(s)
Stefaniia Bern
Stefaniia Bern is a student of the MA Arts and Culture program at the Columbia Journalism School. She previously covered the war in Ukraine for Reuters, focusing on human-interest stories and cultural issues.