Yellow Ribbon exhibition in Brussels depicts Ukrainian resistance against Russia

A new exhibition of yellow ribbons in Brussels is bringing attention to the underground Ukrainian resistance movement.

The symbolism began in the Ukrainian city of Kherson after the Russian forces occupied the town. A yellow ribbon painted there soon became emblematic of the civil resistance of the Ukrainians living in the occupied territories.

Now it’s become a movement.

“The Yellow Ribbon is a resistance movement in the occupied territories, it is a peaceful resistance movement. They remind people that they are still in Ukraine, that the fact that Russians are here does not mean that Russia is here forever, no one abandoned them. We are all together with them,” said Valerie, one of the organisers of the exhibition. 

Visitors in Brussels will be able to learn more about many of the anonymous stories of Yellow Ribbon activists and see real artefacts from temporarily occupied territories: a fence from de-occupied Kherson inscribed with “Kherson is Ukraine,” as well as interactive photos and videos of activists demonstrating the work of the movement. 

The organisation says that Yellow Ribbon activists operate in the face of Russian terror campaigns, which are designed to brutally suppress pro-Ukrainian sentiment.

Now the movement has more than 8000 members who are trying to help those left on the Russian side of the frontline.

The exhibition, which can be seen at the Place de Luxembourg in Brussels, has visitors learn about six anonymous stories of real activists.

“More than 100,000 square kilometres of Ukraine are now occupied by Russians. 1877 settlements are still under occupation. Unfortunately, this number often remains abstract to foreigners”, said Vsevolod Chentsov, head of the mission of Ukraine to the European Union.

For the politician “this can be changed by stories of specific people from Yellow Ribbon who are living in the temporarily occupied territories. Art is a powerful tool that helps to inform Europeans about the horrors that are happening in Ukraine because of the Russian invasion”.