It has been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine and tonight at 7.30 pm church bells across the Netherlands will ring to mark the terrible occasion. As the war continues past this first year, countries across the world have found ways to recognise and reflect on what has happened in Ukraine.
At 11 am today, in the UK, there was a moment of silence and the Netherlands will toll its church bells instead. Over 50 Dutch cities will participate tonight so it’s likely that you’ll hear the bells wherever you are in the country.
The church bells will ring for half an hour, until 8 pm in cities including Groningen, Rotterdam, Maastricht, Leiden and Enschede, plus our own Amsterdam and plenty more cities across the Netherlands. The gesture will give Dutch residents the opportunity to reflect on what is happening in Europe.
In Utrecht, there will be a concert held to remember those who have died as a result of the war, including military personnel and civilians. The chairman of the Carillon Foundation in Utrecht said: ‘It would be nice if they heard about this action in Ukraine and we could provide a small bright spot.’