The Exhibition Features Drawings of Kyjiv Students Born from the Emotions Caused by the War

Institute of International Relations and Political science of Vilnius University and the Library of Vilnius University invite everyone to attend the exhibition of Ukrainian students from the Kyiv College of Arts and Design. The exhibition will present 30 printed artworks and a video including 80 other paintings, alongside the teachers' messages from the college and the artists themselves.

"Vilnius University has deep ties with the Ukrainian people. Ukrainians studied at Vilnius University, and Lithuanians went from Vilnius to Ukraine to study and teach. Before the war, we developed relations with 16 Ukrainian higher education institutions. I am convinced we will develop our relations only more widely and meaningfully after the war," says VU Rector prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas.

The artworks presented in this exhibition are the artistic expression of emotional shock (grief, anger, terror, hope) from the first day of war up to today by the teenage students of Kyiv Professional College of Arts and Design. At first, these works appeared not for the exhibition but because the true artist cannot abandon one's craft. Students were painting while hiding in basements from bombings and shellings, sitting in the cities and villages occupied by Russians, on the evacuation buses, or while they were already abroad. Some of these artists lost their homes or loved ones.

The opportunity to present their work in a European university to a broad audience is a ray of hope for many students and teachers. It is recognition of Ukraine among the European community and the evidence of Ukraine's victory with the support of the whole civilized world.

Rector of VU prof. R. Petrauskas, Margarita Šešelgytė, Director of TSPMI, Marina Dobrovolskaya, Director of the Kiev Professional College of Arts and Design, Irena Krivienė, Director General of the Vilnius University Library, and representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Ukraine and the US Embassy in Lithuania.

The exhibition opens on the 25th of April at 4 PM in the library of Vilnius University (Universiteto street 3.).