In a shelter for refugees in Warsaw, Ukrainian children crowd, shout and jump for joy, around three very warm inflatable dinosaurs.
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“I don’t bite,” assures the orange T-rex in Ukrainian, while distributing “tope there” and chocolate bars to young and old, well sheltered here from the war that is ravaging their country.
Their mothers take pictures or just smile as they watch the boys and girls rush at the big dinosaurs to pull their tails and squeeze their two-fingered paws.
“They are very happy. It’s a good time for them,” one of the Ukrainian refugees, Lili Kyryliouk, told AFP.
“Ukrainian children are now experiencing moments of distress. These dinosaurs can help them,” said the mother of two from the city of Vinnytsa in central Ukraine.
The 40-year-old, who left her home with her children after the local airport was destroyed by Russian missiles, is one of more than a million people who have found refuge in Poland since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Looking for original formulas to help newcomers, Tomasz Grzywinski, a TV producer in Warsaw, launched his Jurassic campaign – “Make roahrrr, not war”.
“I have children myself, so I can imagine how hard it must be for them to have to leave their homes because of the bombs flying everywhere,” the 41-year-old told AFP.
“I thought it would be nice to offer them at least a moment of respite… A sort of trip to Disneyland or Jurassic Park,” adds this father of three children.
“Dinosaur Army”
He opted for a dinosaur costume because of the “wow!” it provokes, and first tried it at the Central Station in Warsaw, which has seen a constant flow of refugees since the start of the conflict.
“I was afraid it wouldn’t go well… because these people are fleeing the war, while I want to clown around,” he says.
“But after three minutes, the reaction of the children made me realize that everything was fine. The parents also came to thank me and smiled at me.
The experience turned out to be moving.
“A two-and-a-half-year-old girl came up to me, grabbed my leg and just wanted to stand there and hug the dinosaur. She didn’t even want candy, nothing at all,” he said.
To his surprise, the idea caught on social media, with strangers showing up to buy treats and coloring books or donning their own costumes to offer cheer.
“I’ve had a lot of feedback from psychologists who specialize in treating trauma, who have told me that this initiative is like a mini-therapy,” says Mr. Grzywinski.
Since then, he has recruited friends to form “an army of dinosaurs” and plans to also invest in less accessible places, such as orphanages.
“Everyone should help in some way,” says his friend Marcin Truskawa, after removing his green T-rex costume at the same refugee center.
“These are people like us, children like ours,” insists this 42-year-old bank employee.
“It’s great that we can brighten someone’s day with so little,” he adds, all smiles, happy with this experience.