On Thursday, 2 October 2025, the Media Center of the State Enterprise ‘Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions’ hosted the opening of Warmness — an art exhibition of the charity project titled Teddy Bears with Hope for Ukraine by Kamilla Kristensen Rai, Counsellor on Water and Environment at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Ukraine.
This is the artist’s second exhibition presented at the Media Center this year with the organisational support of the GDIP. Warmness is a charitable initiative born from the idea of giving children in difficult life circumstances a sense of love, care and joy. The project has been implemented with the assistance of the Ukrainian Diplomatic Spouses Association.
Soft knitted teddy bears have become the symbol of Warmness. Each of them bears the cosiness of yarn intertwined with hope, compassion and the gentle warmth of human hearts. The idea was born in Denmark, where Kamilla Kristensen Rai launched the project Bamser med håb til Ukraine (Teddy Bears with Hope for Ukraine), inviting everyone willing to take part in knitting the toys. Now, all the teddy bears have reached Ukraine, joining those made by local volunteers.
The art gathering was attended by representatives of the embassies of Canada, Denmark, Norway and Romania, as well as by representavies of state institutions, charitable foundations and non-governmental organisations.
In her welcoming remarks, Romana Kasianchuk, Acting Head of the Media Center Directorate, thanked the partners for supporting and facilitating this project, and emphasised the importance of such initiatives, especially for the most vulnerable group — children.
‘Ukraine has a great mission — to bring peace and joy to its children who are living through difficult times. This unity is a powerful reminder that empathy knows no borders and connects us all. It is already the second time that Ms Kamilla presents her art at the Media Center. Some of you may remember her exhibition In-Between, which filled our hall with paintings back in May. Today, through Warmness, the artist shares not only her creativity but also her humanity and generosity. GDIP is always happy to support such initiatives. We have organised cultural and sports events for children who are going through hard times, those who were forced to leave their homes due to the russian aggression. Projects like this remind us that we can always bring warmth, light and hope into the lives of children.’
The presentation continued with remarks by the project’s author, Kamilla Kristensen Rai, who shared that the idea for the initiative first emerged in 2024, when she came to Ukraine to take up her post as Counsellor on Water and Environment at the Embassy of Denmark. Before leaving Denmark, Ms Rai knitted her first teddy bear, which she wished to give to a Ukrainian child. That very bear became the symbol of the initiative and is now featured on the exhibition poster.
‘The title of the Warmness exhibition has three meanings: the warmth of the wool, the warmth and comfort of the teddy bear itself, and the warmth that comes from human connection. So, by knitting a soft bear, by creating it with our own hands and giving it to a child in Ukraine, who may be facing difficult circumstances, we are sharing a piece of our warmth. That is the essence of this exhibition,’
said Kamilla Kristensen Rai.
The exhibition aims not only to showcase the process of creating the toys but also to highlight the importance of giving hope to the children of Ukraine who are facing difficult circumstances. According to the project’s author, after holding her first painting exhibition in Kyiv, she created a painting of a teddy bear and titled it Teddy Bears with Hope for Ukraine. That idea later became the foundation of her current project.
During the presentation, Kamilla Kristensen Rai spoke about the support the initiative has received from friends, colleagues, relatives, and even participants of a knitting festival in Denmark. She shared stories behind some of the toys, the involvement of volunteers, and the conceptual meaning and symbolism behind the teddy bears. The artist also noted that knitting itself is a form of meditation and helps to overcome stress — especially in times of war. The process requires focus yet brings calm, and for Kamilla, it has become a personal way to maintain balance during air raid alerts and other tense moments. A part of her presentation was also devoted to describing the qualities of wool.
In her closing remarks, Kamilla Kristensen Rai expressed sincere appreciation to everyone involved in making the teddy bears, including volunteers and those who donated yarn. She highlighted that thanks to the collective effort, the toys will soon be delivered to children in Sumy. ‘I would like to thank the entire GDIP team and Tetiana Sybiha, Head of the Centre for Public Diplomacy at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and Co-Founder of the Ukrainian Diplomatic Spouses Association, whose support ensures that the teddy bears will reach the children at the Sumy Centre for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation,’ said Ms Kristensen Rai.
Following the exhibition, the event continued with warm and informal conversations among guests.
