On May 7, the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) opened the photo exhibition "MA-ТИ", dedicated to the mothers of fallen Ukrainian heroes.

The author of the project is Svitlana Korableva, a photographer from Mariupol who now lives in Cherkasy. Through her lens, she tells the stories of 12 women who lost their sons in the war - but did not break. They continue to support the military and volunteers, determined to ensure their sons’ sacrifice was not in vain.

This is not just an exhibition.
It is about pain that never fades.
About love stronger than death.
About women whose strength is awe-inspiring.

This is the voice of Ukraine - fighting for life, freedom, and the future.

The exhibition became possible thanks to the support of the Viljandi-based NGO Mariupol Free, the Parliament of Estonia (Riigikogu), and the Open Estonia Foundation.

The opening ceremony featured President of the Riigikogu Lauri Hussar, Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia Maksym Kononenko, Member of the Riigikogu Helmen Kütt, Mall Hellam from the Open Estonia Foundation, Nataliya Logozynska from Mariupol Free, civil society activists Yevgenia Chirikova and Ülo Vihma, as well as the author of the project, Svitlana Korableva, who joined via video message.

Lauri Hussar:
 "The genocide that Russia is committing against the Ukrainian people is horrifyingly brutal and unjust. I have personally witnessed the pain of Ukrainian mothers, and it is hard to find words to describe the grief of losing a child. We cannot ease this sorrow. But we can do everything in our power to ensure that the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia are returned home - and that the aggressor receives the punishment they deserve."

Ambassador of Ukraine to Estonia, Maksym Kononenko:

‘’Today, as Europe is once again forced to remember that peace is not a guarantee but a value that must be defended, we cannot forget the lessons of the last century.

This continent has already seen a war that took millions of lives. World War II - one of the most tragic chapters in human history - taught us that indifference and appeasement of an aggressor lead to catastrophe.

And back then, in the 1940s, millions of mothers across Europe endured what Ukrainian mothers are experiencing again today. They wrote letters, waited in fear for the postman, buried sons they had raised for life, not for war.’’