'Powerful' display in Saskatoon shares lives of students killed in Ukraine
Students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) are highlighting stories of Ukrainian youth killed in the Russian invasion who were in school working towards a diploma or degree.
The solemn display, called Unissued Diplomas, shows the lives lost this past year and causes many to pause and reflect when passing through a quiet hallway on campus.
“It’s pretty powerful. I try to walk by it every day that I can, every day you see something new about someone,” Natalya Shevchuk from the Ukrainian Students’ Association told CTV News.
Shevchuk has read all 36 stories in the exhibit, but the most gripping for her is the one of a mother killed while in her home by a Russian bomb targeting a civilian area. Stories like that make the unassuming hallway outside of the St. Thomas More (STM) library the site of frequent reflection and tears.
“Lots of us Canadian-born students we’ve never experienced a war in our lifetime and hopefully will never have to,” she says.
The free exhibit in the upper hallway of STM college at the U of S chronicles the many unfulfilled lives of those between 17 and 22-years-old that ended because of the Russian invasion. It tells the stories of not just those serving on the front lines, but also civilians.
“Lots of these people in high school or even university diplomas were so close to receiving their diplomas and it wasn’t their choice that it was taken from them,” she says.
Thirty-six stories are displayed, 36 stories of young lives. The display has travelled to universities around the world.
“It was clear that it needed to make its way to the U of S because it did tell the stories of students whose lives were cut far, far too short,” Professor Nadya Foty-Oneschuk told CTV News.
While the events happening in Ukraine are significantly impacting many Ukrainians, Foty-Oneschuk is finding that it has a broad appeal.
“My colleague down the hall keeps sending me pictures of people stopping. Our hallway is never this busy,” she says.
Messages have been coming in since the exhibit went up on Sunday from passersby who appreciate the moving display.
“It draws people in and engages them in this very painful topic in a very unique way,” she says.
For students like Shevchuk, this hallway hits close to home as she worries about friends her age in Ukraine.
“I spent a year studying there out of high school so I have lots of friends who are part of dance ensembles who are being conscripted into the war,” she said.
The stories will remain up in this hallway gallery until Friday, but will continue moving across the country and the world beyond that. It can also be viewed online at the STM website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Special rapporteur Johnston rejects call to 'step aside' after majority of MPs vote for him to resign
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's efforts to assure Canadians that his government is adequately addressing the threat of foreign interference took a hit on Wednesday, when the majority of MPs in the House of Commons voted for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside,' a call Johnston quickly rejected.

'I heard a cracking noise': 16 children, 1 adult injured in platform collapse at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar
Seventeen people – most of whom are young students – were hospitalized after a falling from a height during a field trip at Winnipeg's Fort Gibraltar. However, many of the children are now being discharged and sent home, according to an update from the hospital.
Engaged couple shot dead days before moving out of house near Hamilton
An engaged couple was shot dead while fleeing their landlord near Hamilton just days before they were scheduled to move out of their apartment.
Federal Court of Appeal: Canada not constitutionally obligated to bring home suspected ISIS fighters
The Government of Canada has won its appeal and will not be legally forced to repatriate four Canadian men from prisons in Northeast Syria.
Canadian consumer debt hits all-time high, reaching $2.32 trillion in Q1 2023: TransUnion
Amid interest rate hikes and high inflation, more Canadians are turning to credit for relief, with consumer debt hitting a new record in the first quarter of 2023.
Canada closing in on deal to get Stellantis battery plant back on track: Champagne
A deal to save a $5-billion electric vehicle battery plant in Windsor is inching closer, Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said Wednesday.
Health Canada recalls Arora Cookwares clay cooking pot with lid over burn hazards
Arora cookwares clay cooking pots were recalled by the federal health agency over burn and injury risks.
House moving to midnight sittings as Liberals blame Conservatives for stalling agenda
It's that time of year again where MPs will be sitting until midnight until the House rises in late June, as the federal government pushes to pass as many bills as it can before the summer legislative hiatus. On Wednesday, Government House Leader Mark Holland announced that the Commons will be working late 'every single night … from here until the finish.'
Medication shortage in Canada led to increased dosing errors in children, new study shows
A new study has found that dosing errors in children increased during the Canada-wide shortage of paediatric fever and pain medication last year.