Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.

"History is not meant to be forgotten, but to teach people kindness." That's the belief of Russian concept artist Marina Nechaeva, whose great-great-grandmother survived the Siege of Leningrad by eating melted sugar from the ground after bombings. Through resilience and luck, she escaped death time and time again. Today, Marina paints in Guangzhou, using her brush to rebuild the world she longs for, one of beauty and peace. From St. Petersburg to Guangzhou, from war to peace, her colors connect two cities once scarred by conflict. Behind each canvas lies her question to history and a reverence for peace.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on Twitter to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)