Dozens of people have paid their respects on the first day of a two-day vigil marking the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
The official Ipswich Vigil for Ukraine began on Friday at St Mary at the Elms Church.
The event will continue on Saturday as people are invited to drop-in to light candles, sign a book of support, reflect, and produce their own artistic interpretation of “my Ukraine”.
Event organiser Alan Cutting said: “February 24th is such a difficult day, but one on which all Ukrainians and many of their British friends will want to acknowledge - to lament, to reflect, to hope, to pray, and to come together in solidarity.
"Some of this is just expressing the pain. It’s very hard for us Brits to understand the pain. We’ve worked hard on the posterior of the event – how do we as a bunch of Brits in our own land, partner with the Ukrainian community?
"We don’t want to a vigil for Ukraine, we want to walk with them and have a partnership with them.
“One lady has taken two days off work – it’s cost her a lot but it was so important to her. It’s a safe space for her to be and to reflect."
Formal civic vigils will be held at 6pm on both Friday and Saturday, led by church and community leaders and attended by the Mayor of Ipswich and Archdeacon of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
A renowned artist has been commissioned to produce a piece during the vigil.
There was also be musical performances by Ukrainian people, and a joint Ukrainian-British choir will perform Ukrainian songs.
Father John Thackray, the priest at St Mary at the Elms, said: “The purpose of the vigils is to pray for the people of Ukraine and to pray that there can be peace in Ukraine. Hundreds of people have come today and we expect an even bigger turnout tomorrow.
“There’s been a good feel to the church all day. The mood has been reflective. We don’t want to wallow, but we want to show the people of Ukraine that we have not forgotten them and say to the world let us find a sustainable, just peace.”
The church's drop in session runs from 10am to 6pm on Saturday.
Suffolk County Council will also be lighting up Endeavour House on Saturday in the colours of Ukraine, followed by a national one minute of silence.
Elsewhere, a Stand with Ukraine gathering will take place in Bury St Edmunds at 12pm on Saturday at Angel Hill.
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