Ukrainian Peace Garden opens in Baltic Triangle for Eurovision

The garden, which is on Baltic Green on Jamaica Street, has been created by city-based award-winning designer Peter Lloyd.

A Ukrainian Peace Garden has officially opened in the Baltic Triangle to coincide with Liverpool’s hosting of Eurovision.

The idea is to have a beautiful green space that not only reflects the Ukrainian community but also becomes a real asset for everyone living and working in and around the Baltic.

It incorporates sensory planting, artistic mosaics and materials commonly found in Ukraine, as well as two giant concrete chess tables so visitors can stop and play one of the country’s most popular games.

The Peace Garden was designed and brought to life in collaboration with Liverpool’s Ukrainian community to bring authenticity and the Big Help Project.

Children from the nearby St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School were also involved in making decorative pieces to be displayed in the space and eco garden groups at Roots in the City – also based in the Baltic – have planted vegetables and herbs.

The Ukrainian Peace Garden project has been supported by Baltic Triangle Area CIC.

Fiona Shaw, Chair of Baltic Triangle Area CIC, says the garden first started to take shape when Peter got in touch with them at the end of last year.

She explains: “He specialises in sensory gardens, and he’d had this idea of doing something for Eurovision which would also hopefully have a long-term legacy.

“A lot of the things that are happening around Eurovision are really frenetic and busy so he was thinking, let’s do the opposite and create somewhere people can just take a moment to sit and reflect.”

The garden has been supported through funding from local businesses and a crowdfunding campaign which has already raised more than £5,000.

Work started to transform the space on Baltic Green at the end of March and Fiona says things have moved quickly since then to allow it to open ahead of the Eurovision Grand Final on Saturday May 13.

“What we now have is a Ukrainian Peace Garden that is a really nice place for people to sit and chill and we just want people to really use it.

“As well as the planting and design features, it has two permanent concrete chess tables at the heart of it. That’s something we were already thinking about before Peter came in with his idea because we were looking for ways to bring it into community use, but it fits in really nicely because obviously chess is one of the national games of Ukraine and it’s so popular there.

“Ultimately there’s a lot of people who live here, and a lot of people who work here, so green space is really important to all of us,” adds Fiona. “Having somewhere to sit outside when the weather’s nice or have lunch, or walk your dog, those things really matter and they’re an important part of Baltic being a nice place to be, to live or go out for an afternoon or evening.”