Greetings! I’m Alona Tymoshenko, the founder and director of a Ukrainian film school, and a film producer. My personal symbol of Ukraine is the viburnum (kalyna). It always grew near my parents’ house — it was planted by my great-grandmother. Last year, I planted a viburnum bush near my own home as well.
Now I tell my son that the viburnum is our talisman. It protects our home and our family, because in Ukraine it has long been seen as a sacred tree — a symbol of blood, family, generational continuity, and pride in our ancestors. Its red berries symbolized the blood shed by those who defended our Homeland from enemies. And today, this is more relevant than ever. The viburnum is a symbol of peace, prosperity, resilience, and the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people.