Day of Silence

The “Day of Silence” project

Day of Silence 2026

CULTURE AS THE VOICE OF RESILIENCE:

The international project “DAY OF SILENCE” will unite Ukraine and Italy

On 24 February 2026 – the 12th anniversary of the start of the war and the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion – a large-scale solidarity marathon, “DAY OF SILENCE”, will begin.

It is a unique initiative in which, instead of loud slogans, Culture itself speaks. The project becomes an invisible bridge of remembrance and support stretching between every region of Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora in Italy.

Silence in wartime is not about keeping quiet. It is about a voice that speaks without words. Our culture has no address. It cannot be destroyed by missiles, because it lives not in buildings but in our hearts, our songs and our memory. It is wherever we are. Culture is us
— says the Department of Culture of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (CNAUI), which coordinates the project.

The centrepiece of the day will be the broadcast of the video message series “Region, Culture, War”.

Every hour, representatives of different regions of Ukraine – from Crimea to Chernihiv – will bear witness to the strength of our identity. These are stories of how culture survives under shelling, how heritage becomes spiritual armour and how art gives the nation the strength to keep fighting.

Ukraine’s voice will find powerful support in Europe thanks to the efforts of the Ukrainian community in Italy. It is an act of solidarity: when Ukraine bows its head in silence, Ukrainians in Italy keep that silence together with it, amplifying the voice of truth on the international stage. Every message is proof that, despite years of war, we have not only held firm but kept our soul.

Our schedule of unity (Kyiv time):

Every hour we will fall silent for a moment in a shared minute of silence, honouring the memory of those who are no longer with us and the values we defend.