Salisbury continues to stand with Ukraine, and today, we were excited to see the new ‘Standing With Giants’ sculpture being installed in the Guildhall Square to mark the one-year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
The sculpture, a silhouette of a soldier holding a baby whilst leading a mother and another child to safety, stands at 12 feet high and is made from 15mm laser-cut sheet steel. It will remain in the city until 17th March 2023.
Oxfordshire artist Dan Barton collaborated with Peter Naylor to produce this powerful sculpture in just 12 days. Dan believes imagery plays a huge part in war and can show solidarity to those in need.
There are various QR codes on site which allow people to make donations to various charities, including The Salisbury Community Hub for Ukraine, which was set up to provide a support network for Ukrainian refugees and their hosts. You can find out more information and donate by visiting the website: https://salisburyukrainehub.org.uk/
Jane Ebel, Organiser of the hub, said to Love Salisbury “Ordinary people the length and breadth of the County have been incredibly hospitable in sharing their homes with Ukrainians. Now we can all show our support by standing together at this tribute and during the period of Lent, reach out and show compassion to those who are suffering.”
This moving artistic tribute will also be raising money for The Bearr Trust, a British NGO who provide grassroots support across Ukraine and Moldova.
Leading up to the anniversary of the commencement of conflict in Ukraine, it is imperative that we remember the conflict is constant and insidious, with more than 10 million people having fled and millions more still having no safe place to call home. Today, and every day, Salisbury stands with Ukraine.