site.btaUkrainian Ambassador Highlights Plovdiv’s Support for Ukraine

The Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria, Olesia Ilashchuk, attended the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the 34th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence at the Dimitаr Georgiev Gallery in Plovdiv on Thursday evening.

Speaking to BTA at the event, Ilashchuk said: “The exhibition of Ukrainian artists in Plovdiv is an important event for us as part of the celebrations for Ukraine’s Independence Day. We are presenting Ukraine and introducing our Bulgarian friends to the pulse of Ukraine and contemporary Ukrainian art”.

“We thank Dimitar Georgiev, Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Plovdiv, for his long-standing efforts to strengthen the friendly relations between our countries. We highly value the contribution of Plovdiv and its citizens in supporting Ukraine, especially in welcoming Ukrainian displaced persons fleeing the war,” she added.

Ilashchuk also addressed the ongoing struggle of her country: “Today, the Ukrainian people are paying a terrible price for defending their country and ensuring the security of the entire European democratic community. For every nation, a national holiday carries special meaning. Ukrainians have been observing it for 12 years in the struggle against the aggressor and for four years under the conditions of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine”.

The ambassador recalled that on Wednesday night, Russia once again attacked Ukraine with missile drone strikes, resulting in 18 deaths, including four children. “Dozens of civilians were injured. Hundreds of residential and civil infrastructure facilities were destroyed. This is a cruel, barbaric, and cynical response from the Kremlin to all peaceful efforts by the democratic world,” she emphasized.

Commenting on the exhibition, Prof. Emilia Konstantinova, director of the museum gallery, told BTA that the exhibition features 21 works by artists Oksana Stratiychuk, Ilya Bogdanovsky, and Kateryna Kosianenko. The selected artists come from different generations and have numerous international appearances, with their work reflecting an unwavering stance against war, the preservation of cultural values, and fundamental human principles, Konstantinova explained.

The exhibition was opened by Dimitar Georgiev, founder and owner of the museum gallery. He noted the exhibition features three very different artists who, even under these conditions, continue to create and showcase Ukraine’s cultural diversity. They show that they are thinking about the future of their time as well, he noted.

The exhibition, which contains 21 selected paintings, will be on display until September 11.