The artwork explores the native language as a person’s first home, the memory passed down from generation to generation, and the desire to preserve one’s roots.

In her work, Dariia Romanenko brings together the Ukrainian tradition of motanka dolls and Cyprus’s cultural heritage. Made from locally sourced jute fabric, the dolls are adorned with letters from the Cypriot script and original symbols inspired by the ancient Cypriot syllabic script. A single melodic line consisting of five sentences in the Cypriot dialect connects the figures, symbolically weaving different voices into a shared collective memory.

The Embassy of Ukraine sincerely thanks Daria Romanenko for this meaningful gift, in which Ukrainian traditions meet the cultural heritage of Cyprus. Artistic initiatives such as this remind us that language is not merely a means of communication, but also a bearer of identity, history and memory - connecting people across borders.