Bird of Light Ukraine presented the immersive installation Empty Beds — a reconstruction of a children’s room telling the story of deported Ukrainian children. Production designer: Andrii Burianenko (Starlight Production)

The installation opened in Luxembourg City, inside the European Parliament building, as part of an international advocacy campaign aimed at drawing attention to war crimes committed against Ukrainian children. The event was held in cooperation with LUkraine ASBL and the advocacy coalition Defending Our Future Now, with participation from the embassies of Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

Distinguished speakers included Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets, as well as Kseniia-Anastasiia, a witness to the Russian occupation.

The space is recreated at a 1:1 scale with meticulous accuracy: furniture, personal belongings, atmosphere, and lighting create a powerful sense of real presence while underscoring the central idea—the absence of a child who never returned home. The work is built on the contrast between the ordinariness of childhood life and the tragedy of its sudden disappearance. Through carefully crafted interior details, the viewer is immersed in a deeply personal story behind stark statistics, experiencing it on an emotional level.

The installation transforms the figure—over 20,000 abducted Ukrainian children—into a tangible human experience that prompts reflection, empathy, and action.

The project was implemented as part of an international initiative supported by the Government of Ukraine, including the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA and the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights led by Dmytro Lubinets.