This past weekend, the Kyiv History Museum hosted a special origami workshop for children as part of Origami for Life, an international project by renowned designer Charles Kaisin. Supported by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, this initiative has offered children affected by the war a valuable opportunity to restore both physical and emotional well-being.


Charles Kaisin is a celebrated Belgian designer known for his innovative approach and artistic versatility. He has collaborated with brands such as Serax, Hermès, Rolls-Royce, Cartier, and Ice-Watch. Famous for his iconic works, Kaisin operates across various fields, including object design, architecture, and scenography. The Origami for Life project is a social initiative of this talented artist.

The origami creations made by children in Kyiv and Brussels will be displayed on the facade of the Kyiv History Museum in 2025, marking a significant art installation collaboration between Brussels, Kyiv, and CHU Saint-Pierre. This partnership, established in 2022, remains strong and active. Origami workshops are being held in schools across Belgium, including in Namur and Brussels, as well as in children’s creative centers in Kyiv.

The workshop took place in the Museum of Civilian Voices space, where children, many of whom have previously participated in the «Rinat Akhmetov to Children» program, enjoyed a day filled with joy and creativity. They toured the museum, learned origami techniques, and, in a way suited to their age, were introduced to the «Diaries of Civilians: Voices of Survivors and Those Who Did Not Survive», a documentary project preserving firsthand accounts of the war.

Since 2014, the Museum of Civilian Voices by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has been collected, preserving, and sharing testimonies of civilians affected by the war in Ukraine. Today, it is the world’s largest archive of these accounts and a critical source of truth about the war. The museum’s collection includes over 120,000 stories, with new ones added daily.

The Museum of Civilian Voices space is open for free entry from 12:00 to 19:00, Wednesday through Sunday, at 7 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho St., on the first floor of the Kyiv History Museum.