Gatherings held across New York City to mark 1 year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine
NEW YORK -- The brutality of war has upended so many lives in Ukraine, and here in New York, those of Ukrainian heritage are marking this painful milestone of a year of war.
While honoring the victims of the conflict, many still have hope for a brighter future ahead.
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Ukrainian Americans in Little Ukraine are working and living their lives, never forgetting what this year has meant and how sadness mixes with determination and hope for a better future.
"What goes through your mind every day? Is the war far away from your thoughts ever?" CBS2's Dave Carlin asked East Village resident Maksimilian Kutuyev.
"Never. It's every single day, I talk to my loved ones and it's tough. We feel it," Kutuyev said.
Watch CBS2's interview with Ukrainian Institute President Kathy Nalywajko
"Ukrainian people are more united than ever. We discovered our nation this year like never before," Antonina Skobina said.
Skobina and husband Denys Drozdyuk are Ukrainian American ballroom dancers who put together a somber installation at the Ukrainian Institute of America.
"Here at this exhibition, we can see who is losing their lives," Skobina said.
"These artists were killed because of the war," Drozdyuk said.
"Masha, she was only 15 years old. She was a ballroom dancer just like us, and she was killed ... Her apartment was just, apartment building was struck by a Russian missile," Skobina said.
The Ukrainian Institute of America's executive director Lydia Zaininger gave Carlin a tour of the institute. Drone video shows what Mariupol, Ukraine, which is still under occupation, looks like today.
Watch Dave Carlin's report
"We're trying to provide little pieces of different types of experiences," Zaininger said. "Music did not stop. Lack of electricity did not stop them from creating music."
The institute also has a healing room with healing dolls that Zaininger says are "from ancient times."
"They don't want to be victims anymore. They want to be themselves, and that's what we're trying to show here today, what they are," Zaininger said. "Ukrainians are reminding us what we stand for, as well."
- The Ukrainian Institute of America at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street is open to the public from Thursday through Sunday from 12-6 p.m. For more information about the Ukrainian Institute of America's work and mission, visit ukrainianinstitute.org.
Friday night, hundreds gathered in Times Square, many wrapped in the country's native blue-and-yellow flag, holding 365 posters signifying the number of days Ukraine has been defending its freedom.
"We have to reflect. We have to educate. We have to tell people that war is still there," organizer Arthur Zgurov said.
Many shared their stories of fleeing and losing loved ones.
"It's a very close friend of mine who was a doctor, and unfortunately last year, he passed away," Zgurov said.
"I was there with my family all the way up until October ... We experienced a lot of explosions, a lot of horrors that the war brings," Veronica Bugaioea said.
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"There's so many people that died. There's so many children that died. I just... I can't find words to describe it," Natalia Yakubova said.
More than 20,000 troops and civilians have been killed in the war, and United Nations data shows more than 8 million fled their home country.
Still, the strength and resilience of people there can be felt all across the globe, including in New York.
"It's a hurtful feeling, but at the same time I feel proud to be Ukrainian," Yakubova said.
People at Friday night's gathering say it was a reminder that the war is not over and the people of Ukraine will continue to fight for their freedom.
