The exhibition “One Desk. Two Marks,” presented by the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform, has opened at the Council of Europe. It features a school desk, divided in half: one half bearing the marks of destruction, the other showing how it should look in a world without war.
The installation was first presented during the Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in September 2025. The desk is part of the global communication campaign Every Generation Leaves Its Mark. Education Shapes Its Legacy, created in partnership with UNICEF.
The exhibition’s main purpose is to draw attention to the conditions in which Ukrainian children are forced to study as a result of the Russian aggression. This winter, the Russians have been carrying out daily strikes on Ukraine’s energy system, leaving cities and communities without electricity, heating, and water supply. In addition, according to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 3,500 educational institutions have been damaged, with 360 of them completely destroyed.
“The dual desk and the blackboard send a clear visual message: war destroys – education creates. Education is the foundation of our hopes, development, and resilience. Millions of Ukrainian children who continue to study even under today’s harsh conditions – including without heating in their homes – are a testament to human resilience,” said First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska in her online address to participants at the opening of the exhibition.
The exhibition will be on display at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) from January 26 through 30.
The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform is an international association of spouses of world leaders. Initiated by the wife of the President of Ukraine, the Platform has become a global forum for discussing critical humanitarian issues that shape our shared future.