Ukrainian Memorial “Road of Life” in Irpin Nominated for 2025 Media Architecture Biennale

The memorial installation Road of Life in Irpin has been named a finalist for the international Media Architecture Biennale 2025 Award, which is scheduled to take place in Bangkok.

This was reported by lighting designer Mykola Kabluka via Instagram on October 21.

The project, conceived by Mykola Kabluka and the Expolight team, was selected from dozens of global entries, making it one of just 21 finalists chosen by the jury.

The installation is situated at the site of the destroyed Romanivsky Bridge—a critical location that became a symbol of escape as thousands of residents used it to flee shelling during the full-scale invasion in spring 2022.

The Road of Life transforms this site of forced displacement into a marker of healing and hope. According to Kabluka the design utilizes pulsating red threads of light woven between the fragments of the ruined bridge, symbolizing the initial stages of the nation’s recovery.

To enhance the visual impact, the designers used specialized museum lighting to accentuate specific elements of the bridge, creating a powerful effect of presence.

According to designer, the memorial is part of the larger “Kyiv Region. Places of Memory” project, dedicated to preserving the historical record of the events of 2022.

Earlier, the documentary film Militantropos, a collaborative work by Ukrainian directors Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gorlova, and Simon Mozgovyi, earned a coveted spot on the shortlist for the European Film Award for Best Documentary.

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