On 24 February, a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I joined the solemn vigil and demonstration by the statue of St. Volodymyr in Holland Park, London. While a Ukrainian clergyman was paying tribute to the victims in his mother tongue, which I did not understand, a Ukrainian girl spoke to me and gave me a blue and yellow ribbon pin as a gift. 

I was curious about how Holland Park was used to foster international friendships, so I researched its history. 

Its character originated from Holland House, where a political family struck a blow for civil liberties and peace beyond Britain by holding their salon during wars and revolutions. The cosmopolitan culture continued as the Kyoto Garden was built in 1991 to mark the centenary of the British Japan Society. The founder of the Society aimed to tackle Western prejudices against East Asians.

The stories behind Holland Park not only remind us of how to live in a diverse community but also offer a glimpse of what a global city should look like.