To return life to Beslan, where every family has suffered from the tragedy that befell the city in September 2004, leaving 1,673 children and adults killed or injured. To make the country realise that the people of Beslan need more than a one-off monetary donation – they need constant moral support.

The city was transformed by art. For the first time since the tragedy, Beslan’s children could smile. Another goal was accomplished: coverage of the event by TV and other media reminded the business community, that Beslan’s problems still require our help – and money is not necessarily the most effective way.

Children needed the chance to escape their grief and suffering by creating art. That is why we brought the best childrens’ artists, animators and graphic designers to the city, along with fifteen tons of paint and 5,000 paintbrushes. But it wasn’t enough to give this downtrodden, grey city a celebration for one day. So we developed a concept called “Paint your City,” and together the artists and the schoolchildren made a lasting impact on in Beslan’s appearance.

The celebration started with drawings on the school grounds, but eventually encompassed the whole city. Soon, bright colours decorated houses, stores, and cars. The city became a medium of communication: each surface sent a life-affirming message. Beslan’s central square turned into Eastern Europe’s biggest wall of graffiti. Colour even touched the sky: in the finale, thousands of balloons were released. The joy of these children, many of whom had never seen a balloon before, was boundless.

Beslan is a young city. Each family had several children before the tragedy. But one in every ten schoolchildren lost their lives. Children were afraid to go to school and their parents were too traumatised to let them go. Generous donations could not heal the pain felt by every person here. That pain screamed out from every home and brought the social life of the city to a halt. The city needed drastic measures to speed up its return to normalcy. But it also needed delicacy. In Beslan, a city buried in mourning, there was no room for mistakes.