Members of Salisbury’s Ukrainian community gathered on the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to reflect on the extended duration of the tragedy.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, 2022.

On Friday, February 24, Ukrainians who have since relocated to the Salisbury area trekked to various locations across town for a series of commemorative activities.

The day started at Salisbury Community Hub for Ukraine’s home at the Salisbury Methodist Church at 11am to participate in the national moment of silence before walking to the newly installed Standing with Giants sculpture, I Want to Live, in Guildhall Square, where the Ukrainian national anthem was sung.

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At 11:45am, Ukrainians and their supporters continued on to Salisbury Cathedral for a noontime prayer service and candle lighting.

The Standing with Giants sculpture stands at 10 feet tall and is made of seven tonnes of sheet metal. 

It depicts the silhouette of a soldier holding a baby while leading a mother and another child to safety.

The sculpture arrived in the Salisbury area a few days early and plans to display it at the Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum shortly before its installation on Guildhall Square were unsuccessful because the sculpture’s height would not allow it to enter into the Cathedral Close through the High Street Gate.

MP for Salisbury, John Glen, said: “It was an honour to be invited to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion with our Ukrainian friends.

“It was an emotional moment, as they sang the national anthem, and I was proud to stand among them.”