During the Conference on Demining Activities in Ukraine 2024, taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, presented the art project "Soul of Soil". This initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the social enterprise "Moyim.Ridnym," and chef and public opinion leader, television presenter Olga Martynovska.

According to Yulia Svyrydenko, the "Soul of Soil" art project tells the story of how demining impacts the lives of Ukrainians and global food security. It also demonstrates the progress made over the past year in humanitarian demining, thanks to efforts within the country and support from international partners.

The project shares stories of residents from border regions affected by Russia, as well as farmers from Mykolaiv whose lands were mined. Currently, on the demined fields, agricultural producers are resuming work, growing wheat and vegetables that eventually reach global markets.

"Ukraine has already managed to return over 35,000 square kilometers of previously potentially mined territory back into use. For comparison, this is larger than the area of Belgium. It is very important for us that our international partners see the real impact of their assistance on the lives of Ukrainians. It’s not just hectares of land; it's millions of lives. Moreover, it affects not only Ukraine but also the world since Ukraine is one of the key suppliers of grain crops to global markets. As long as our lands are mined, global food security will also suffer," said Yulia Svyrydenko.

The "Soul of Soil" art project contains two elements that symbolize for the international community the real cost of every dinner for families in Ukraine and around the world that Ukraine has to bear.

During the project's launch, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and Deputy Administrator of the UNDP, Haoliang Xu, emphasized the urgent need for global partnership to support Ukraine's recovery.

"The agricultural sector in Ukraine is crucial for global food security, and the devastating impact of mines threatens not only Ukraine but also the most vulnerable populations around the world. UNDP is proud to support the 'Soul of Soil' project, which highlights the urgent need for international cooperation to accelerate demining efforts and ensure that Ukraine's homelands can once again feed millions," stated Haoliang Xu.

The first element of the project is a dish prepared with products grown on demined fields in Mykolaiv. The enterprise where these products were collected resumed work after the de-occupation of Snihurivka and has since demined almost 6,000 hectares of fields, now growing wheat and other crops, including vegetables and melons.

The dish was prepared by chef Olga Martynovska, who comes from Mykolaiv. To attract attention to the problem of demining, Olga visited her hometown and prepared a traditional Ukrainian appetizer using local vegetables.

"What price and what risks do people take to grow the grain so that I can then prepare (traditional Ukrainian bread) palianytsia!" said Olga Martynovska. "It is impossible to assign a price to this bread because it represents the price of life."

The second part of the project consists of embroidered napkins made by elderly women from Sumy region, who are members of the social organization "Moyim.Ridnym." The organization helps elderly women stay active in the job market.

"Creating linen embroidered napkins means much more for the artisans of the 'Moyim.Ridnym' social enterprise than just production — it represents a sense of significance in their work, capability, and involvement in important matters in their country. In synergy with the project's partners, we managed to convey an important message about the resilience of the Ukrainian people through these products, as well as the symbol of the ear of corn, which is significant to our history. It has witnessed many historical periods from Trypillia to the Famine of 1932-33. And now the ear of corn stands as a testament to the resilience of Ukrainian farmers. This project also highlights women's leadership. To create these napkins, women collaborated with other artisans from the project in the villages of Sumy region at various stages, collectively crafting and thereby strengthening their community," noted Kira Okhrimenko, founder of "Moyim.Ridnym."

As part of the presentation of the "Soul of Soil" art project in Lausanne, Yulia Svyrydenko presented packages containing linen napkins embroidered with an ear of corn and a vegetable appetizer to the heads of international delegations attending the International Conference on Demining Activities in Ukraine (UMAC2024).