War takes away the sense of stability, but it cannot take away a person's ability to create beauty and share warmth. How can one find support when it feels like all strength is gone? Where can one draw energy for a new day? On August 5, 2025, at Poltava Polytechnic, answers to these questions were sought through art by creating bright and sweet “Bouquets of Joy” with their own hands.
This meeting was a continuation of a series of events within the large-scale international Erasmus+ KA220-ADU project “TRUST” – Trauma of refugees in Europe: An approach through art therapy as a solidarity program for Ukraine war victims (Grant No. 2024-BE01-KA220-ADU-000257527).
The project title is decoded as follows:
TRUST
T – Trauma
R – Refugees
U – Ukraine
S – Solidarity
T – Therapy
The project is co-funded by the EU and led by the Centre Neuro Psychiatrique St-Martin from Belgium, in partnership with the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” (Ukraine), Greek Carers Network EPIONI (Greece), Fondazione Don Luigi Di Liegro (Italy), Lekama Foundation (Luxembourg), EuroPlural Project (Portugal).
Under the caring and empathetic guidance of Associate Professors from the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Lesia Klevaka and Viktoriia Shevchuk, the participants immersed themselves in a deep process that harmoniously blended creativity, self-reflection, and warm human emotions. The facilitators created a safe space of trust where each woman could allow herself to slow down, set aside her anxieties, and focus on her inner world. The session was meticulously designed to develop emotional expression, enhance self-esteem, and, most importantly, activate hidden inner resources.
It all began with a quiet and heartfelt conversation on the topic, “Who do I want to give joy to?” This seemingly simple question became the key that opened the door to essential reflections. The participants spoke about how crucial it is, in the face of constant stress, not to lose the ability to share warmth, and how a small gift can become a ray of light. But the most significant revelation for many was the idea that the first portion of joy and care can and should be given to oneself – that it is not selfishness, but a necessary condition for restoring strength.
A logical continuation was the “Flower of My Resource” art technique. Here, each ordinary candy was transformed into a powerful symbol. Participants chose sweets, embedding in them their most precious qualities and sources of strength: one candy became an embodiment of love for their children, another a symbol of a long-distance friendship that provides support, and a third represented faith in victory or a memory of a peaceful home. This was an act of a mindful inventory of their virtues, a way to make invisible supports visible and tangible. Thus, through these sweet images, each woman was able to visualise and affirm her strengths.
The practical part transformed into a true workshop of happiness, filled with the quiet rustle of crepe paper and focused, yet bright faces. Using colourful materials, ribbons, and their imagination, the participants created unique bouquets. This process had a profound therapeutic effect: the monotonous, rhythmic movements of their fingers while shaping the petals stabilised the nervous system, and working with colour and texture helped to release internal tension. It was a meditation in action. Each created bouquet was not just a decoration but a metaphor – a unique story woven with personal feelings, care, hope, and dreams.
An especially moving part of the session was the “Flower of Gratitude” exercise. Participants were invited to draw a large flower and, in each petal, write down what they were grateful for in life right now. The pages blossomed with the names of loved ones, the names of their hometowns, memories of childhood dreams, and the simple things that give strength – a cup of hot tea, a child's smile, the support of a new friend. This practice helped shift the focus from what was lost to what is valuable and present, nourishing the soul and reminding everyone that even in the darkest of times, there is always a place for light.
At the end of the meeting, during the reflection, the atmosphere was filled with sincerity and warmth. The participants themselves best described the effect of the session, sharing their impressions: “This bouquet is my symbol of the tenderness I’ve been missing so much”, “For the first time in many months, I did something not because I ‘had to,’ but because I ‘wanted to,’ just for myself”, “It was so pleasant to think about good things and create beauty, as if I had returned to a peaceful life for an hour”.
The meeting provided not only emotional release and the joy of creativity but also a profound sense of self-worth and the capacity to be a source of good. Such events prove that creativity heals. It becomes an invisible shield that protects the soul, provides warmth, strengthens faith in one's abilities, and unites people. Poltava Polytechnic, together with its partners, continues to create a safe space for psychological recovery, proving that even a small, sweet bouquet can become a symbol of great, unbreakable hope.
As a reminder, the faculty of Poltava Polytechnic can participate in academic mobility and internship programs. Students can study abroad through Erasmus+ credit academic mobility grant programs for a semester or a full academic year at leading universities in Austria, Greenland, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the Czech Republic.
For more detailed information on current internship, teaching, and academic mobility programs abroad, please get in touch with the International Relations Office (office 213-C, interoffice@nupp.edu.ua) or the coordinator of international activities at the National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic” – Anna Pavelieva, Ph.D. in Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Germanic Philology and Translation (email: kunsite.zi@gmail.com, phone: +38-(095)-91-08-192).
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National University “Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic”
