Every event created by Voice of Romni leaves behind not only memories, but also meanings we want to preserve for years to come.

That is why, when preparing merchandise for the “Second National Forum on the Implementation of the Roma Strategy. Valuing Diversity”, which took place in Kyiv this year, we wanted to create more than just practical items.

We wanted them to reflect our values. This is how the idea of incorporating a special symbol was born.

For this purpose, we chose a stylized red and black flower motif inspired by the traditional ornament of the Zaporizhzhia region. It was in Zaporizhzhia that Anzhelika Bielova founded the Association of Roma Women Voice of Romni in 2020. It was in this city that she brought together the first people who wanted to change the future of the Roma community. This is our home, which we hold deeply in our hearts.

The Roma community is an integral part of Ukrainian society and its history. Roma people have lived for centuries on the territory of present-day Ukraine, including in the Zaporizhzhia region. Here, Roma families have built communities for generations, preserved their traditions, and at the same time become part of a shared cultural space. Zaporizhzhia region also holds special meaning for Anzhelika Bielova through family memory: her great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother once lived here. Personal stories shape a sense of home, belonging, and connection to the Ukrainian land.

By choosing the ornament of the Zaporizhzhia region for the forum merch, we wanted to emphasize a value that is deeply important to us: Roma and Ukrainian histories are inseparably connected. Through culture, memory, traditions, and shared experience, we continue to build a society where diversity is a strength and mutual respect is the foundation of unity.

In Roma culture, floral motifs symbolize vitality, energy, and constant movement forward — the very force that has helped generations preserve faith, dignity, and love for life.

🔴 The color red represents love, beauty, freedom, and the inner strength of the Roma people, while also carrying a protective meaning. Historically, it became a symbol of individuality and a way to resist poverty, discrimination, and stigmatization.

⚫️ The color black also carries deep meaning: it speaks of memory, respect, resilience, and a spiritual connection with ancestors. The combination of black and red conveys a subtle contrast between pain and the thirst for life, between the memory of what has been endured and the unbreakable desire for freedom.

This is why the red and black flower motif appeared on tote bags, notebooks, dual-ended pens and pencils, and sticker packs received by the forum participants.

Zaporizhzhia embroidery is widely recognizable in Ukraine, as it is often used on embroidered clothing and other items. Its ornaments stand out from those of other regions because of the abundance of geometric shapes and patterns. Most often, it combines red and black colors on a white or light blue background.

Symbolically, red, white, and black are also the colors we use in our visual identity. This is how a red flower with black leaves appeared on the tote bags, while on the red notebooks the flower had white petals and black leaves. It became not only part of the merchandise, but also an important element of the forum’s visual design. It could be seen on the screens during the multimedia presentation. It united the forum space into one visual story and reminded us of our roots, our shared identity, and the strength of the community.

For some, it may be just a beautiful detail. For us, it is a way to remember who we are. Through such meaningful and authentic elements, we create a cohesive image of our organization — one that brings together Roma and Ukrainian cultures, values traditions, and honors diversity.