Cities Light Up in Solidarity With Ukraine: From Internationally Synchronized Illuminations to Projection Activism, Drone Shows and Global Art Projects

Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has led to shocks worldwide. As a consequence, politicians and people wanted to express solidarity and used architecture as a screen to display the Ukrainian flag. The fast worldwide spreading and the quantity of interventions achieved a new peak compared to similar solidarity messages with light. Therefore, this paper presents the development of architecture and lighting for political messages and explains the context of interventions concerning Ukraine. Four international case studies are used to discuss the strengths and limitations of solidarity gestures, factors influencing the type of lighting, technology, and the role of communication regarding guidelines, press, and photography. The case studies include different countries and building structures: the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, a drone show in South Korea, a global public art project, and activists at the Russian Embassy in the USA. A comparison of earlier and later solidarity messages illustrates the special position of lighting reactions concerning the war against Ukraine. It can be concluded that two female political leaders in Europe initiated the lighting solidarity message a day before the war started. The blue and yellow Ukrainian flag illumination on iconic buildings worldwide defined an image of solidarity faster in the press than large crowds of people in anti-war protests the weekend after the beginning of the war. The solidarity illumination shows that foreign political factors can temporarily become more important for urban nighttime design than the interests of building owners focused on their own representation with light.