A charred transformer on a Kyiv square makes for an unusual Ukraine war exhibit
A charred transformer from one of Ukraine’s severely damaged power plants has come to a square in Kyiv’s city center
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A charred transformer from one of Ukraine’s badly damaged power plants has come to a square in Kyiv's city center — a stark reminder of the scale of destruction caused by Russian strikes on the country's energy system.
The massive blackened hulk juxtaposed with a Ferris wheel further down Kontraktova Square — or Square of Contracts in honor of the place's mercantile past — also serves as a contrast between the peacetime that was and the harsh reality of war in Ukraine.
The exhibition by private energy company DTEK, a nongovernmental organization and Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy opened on Thursday with a message urging people to feel "the pain and despair over the destroyed equipment” that energy workers experience first hand.
The organizers said that while they realize the transformer creates a somber atmosphere, their intention was not to “get anyone down” but to raise awareness of how difficult it is to bring light back to the houses in Ukraine after every Russian attack.
