On 13 January, the EU-funded  ‘European Union for Improving Environmental Monitoring in the Black Sea’ (EU4EMBLAS) project, jointly with the Dialogues art gallery in Odesa, kicked-off an exhibition of marine maps created by children. 

The maps were created by schoolchildren aged 10-14 as part of the special art and science school ‘Black Sea Globe’, launched this winter by the gallery and EU4EMBLAS.

The school was held simultaneously in two Ukrainian cities – Odesa and Mykolaiv. The main aim was to familiarise children with maps, teach them how to navigate them and encourage them to explore the Black Sea on their own. Also, the initiative aimed to support children in these cities, who are now under the harsh conditions of war and regular shelling. At the end of the school, each participant created their own map of the Black Sea on the chosen topic.

In total, 31 maps are presented at the exhibition. The themes of the maps range from important dolphin sanctuaries, Black Sea depths, and marine trade routes, to sunken ships and treasures.

The exhibition will run until 26 January at the Dialogues (Диалоги) art gallery, 2 Soborna Street, Odesa, Ukraine.

The EU and UNDP joint project ‘European Union for Improving Environmental Monitoring in the Black Sea’ (EU4EMBLAS) is the fourth phase of an assistance project that aims to help Ukraine and Georgia protect the Black Sea. The key activities include open seas surveys, large-scale collection of environmental data using novel monitoring techniques, and raising public awareness in the Black Sea region.

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Press release