Story behind the design: Future
To depict Kyiv's future, illustrator Kateryna Stepanishcheva offers an interpretation of the Tree of Life — one of the oldest motifs in Ukrainian embroidery. It has been embroidered into wedding towels, stitched into baptism cloths, and woven into the fabric of daily life since before recorded history.
In Ukrainian tradition, it represents continuity: the roots connecting to our ancestors, the canopy reaching towards the future. Today, it still appears on vyshyvankas, embroidered art pieces, and ceramics across the country. Flowers and stars fill the illustration, both carrying symbolic meaning: the stars, or buds, represent what is yet to come, and the flowering blossoms represent a life in full. Together they stand for growth and thriving.