Deserea Goodwyn, 15, left, shows her 4-year-old niece, Eva Crawley, the art of climbing on playground equipment recently at Abner Clay Park in Jackson Ward. The two were at the park with Kira Crawley, Eva’s mom and Deserea’s sister.

City Hall is bathed in the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, a nightly display of solidarity with the beleaguered Eastern European nation that is struggling to repel the destructive invasion of the Russian army. The invasion began Feb. 24, the day after Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to again be a vassal state of Moscow, as it was when the Soviet Union was in existence. The inva- sion is the largest since World War II. Still, the bi-color flag continues to fly as Ukraine resists. The flag has been the symbol of Ukraine since the 12th century when it was part of the Kingdom of Galicia- Volhynia. Banned during Soviet rule after World War I, the flag was restored after Ukraine regained its independence in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Roots in Forest Hill Park

Orchid lovers have a field day at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, where a variety of orchids were both on sale and on view last weekend at the annual Orchid Show and Sale.

The north wing of the Conservatory also was filled with orchids, including varieties such as phalaenopsis, the white ones seen here, and cymbidium orchids, the yellow ones, commonly used for Easter corsages.

Many people attended the free lectures from expert growers at the show, presented by the Virginia Orchid Society and sponsored by the botanical garden in Lakeside. This year’s theme: “In Love with Orchids and Gardens.”

Richmonders pray for peace and the people of Ukraine at a vigil held March 3 at Monroe Park by the Virginia Commonwealth University campus. The vigil was organized by the Rev. Joe Ellison Jr., the chaplain for Virginia Union University’s athletic teams, who spoke during the candlelight event. Various pastors and community members attended the vigil in support, including representatives from the offices of Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin and Mayor Levar M. Stoney.