GLASS SHELTER

Client: Rizni.Rivni (A platform for civil society organizations) / NDI Agency: [isdgroup] Production: How Production [isdgroup]: Creative Director: Viktor Shkurba Team Lead: Serhii Prońkin Project Manager: Daryna Vashсhuk Creative Group Head: Oksana Gonchar Creative Copywriter: Oleksandra Dyvnych Creative Copywriter: Ulyana Koinichenko Art Director: Ira Lipavska Art Director: Mykhailo Verbytskyi Designer: Arina Khmelnytska Designer: Alika Samoladas Designer: Karyna Kutsenko Strategic Lead: Oksana Chumak Communications Manager: Oksana Solonska Chief Technical Officer: Andrew Sergeev Involved Team / Freelance: Video: Bohdan Ponomarenko Edits: Serhii Nakonechniy PR Manager: Inessa Matiushenko PR Manger: Polina Hoch PR Manager: Olha Syrotiuk How Production: Project Lead: Yurii Stetsiuk Technical Director: Maksym Livickiy Head of Production: Yevhen Kuzmenko Head of Installation: Taras Didenko Project Manager: Dmytro Paziura Content Manager: Yevhen Rak Rizni.Rivni / NDI: Platform Coordinator: Alina Korinieva, Rizni.Rivni Project Manager: Kostiantyn Andriiv, Gender Zed Communication Manager: Yuliia Kostiuchenko, Gender Zed Communication Manager: Yakiv Lavrynets, Sphere Inclusion Program Manager: Svitlana Iukhymovych, NDI Inclusion Program Officer: Khrystyna Bila, NDI Inclusion Program Officer: Yuriy Yevlanov, NDI Inclusion Program Assistant: Philip Levin, NDI

Glass Shelter is an outdoor installation confronting hate-fueled violence against LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine. The piece symbolizes the stalled Bill 5488, which aims to criminalize hate and discrimination based on sexual orientation, as well as race, gender, disability, and more. The idea emerged in response to the need to spark public discussion, as recorded hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine doubled in 2024 compared to 2023. Amid the war, the only way to do so was to fit into the context. We found a symbol deeply connected to Ukrainians—bomb shelters that protect them from missile attacks. The art direction draws from the visual language of bomb shelters—structures meant to protect. Yet, built from fragile glass, this shelter fails to offer safety, mirroring the absence of legal protection. Placed in a high-traffic urban space opposite the country’s main Orthodox cathedral, it challenges the resistance of conservative groups. The installation turns passive observation into an active experience, compelling the public to confront the fragility of LGBTQ+ rights when unprotected. Feeling vulnerable in the Glass Shelter, people were driven to sign the petition for the bill, while 13 NGOs representing 92,000 people also signed an open letter to Parliament advocating for the adoption of Bill 5488. Overall, the campaign reached 48 million in earned media. And the government heard. After years of delays, Bill 5488 is now on Ukraine’s 2025 parliamentary agenda.