Exhibition marks 1st anniversary of conflict in Ukraine
One year after the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the exhibition "The Days of War" was opened outside the Municipal Market of Matosinhos.
The exhibition presents photographs taken by photojournalist Rui Caria, who, during the 40 days he worked for SIC in Ukraine, recorded moments of pain, blood and death.
"There are 20 photos, but there could have been 200 or 2000. The selection was not easy. I wanted to transport a little of the experience that I lived and what I felt in my passage through the streets of Ukraine. Bringing these images to the street is to represent what I experienced," says Rui Caria.
"I'm not going to say "I hope you like it" because in fact you don't expect that anyone would like to observe images like these. But I hope it will serve to awaken sensations, to cause amazement. Astonishment is the path to non-forgetfulness. So I hope that people can still be amazed by these images that I have chosen to exhibit. Never forget, it can happen to anyone, anywhere," added the photojournalist.
The images are accompanied by texts written by Manuela Niza. "We wanted to give the image of people, of those who suffer every day, the blood, the viscera, the loss, the death. We wanted to show the horror of shattered lives that happens today, in the 21st century, at the hands of a man," she explained.
The inauguration took place on Friday morning, February 24, and was attended by the councilman of Culture, Fernando Rocha, the councilman of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, Marta Pontes, and the councilman of Sports, Vasco Pinho.
This was followed by a performance by the Ukrainian lyric singer Serhii Alkin, a refugee in Portugal and welcomed by Matosinhos.
In the afternoon, who visited the exhibition was the deputy minister and Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, the vice-president of the Porto branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal and responsible for the Vinoshok Children's Center, Lyudyla Artysh, and the Ukrainian Consul in Porto, Alina Ponomarenko.
The visit also included the president of the Municipal Assembly of Matosinhos, Palmira Macedo, the vice-president of the City Council, Carlos Mouta, the councilman of Culture, Fernando Rocha, and the administrator of Matosinhos Sport, Henrique Calisto.
Carlos Mouta recalled that, a year ago, the first concern was to implement an emergency response, in terms of providing physical and mental health care, housing and food, clothing and hygiene. This was followed by support for the children's integration in schools, teaching of the Portuguese language, and support for insertion in the job market. Currently, 179 families from Ukraine live in the municipality.
The support that the municipality provided in welcoming the displaced people was praised by Lyudyla Artysh, pointing out that "life will never be the same again. "We had no choice but to fight and defend ourselves against the aggressor. We have the right to be free and to choose our own paths. The passion for our country, for our people, gives us the strength to resist," said the vice-president of the Porto branch of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal.
Also the Ukrainian Consul in Porto addressed "the genocide of the Ukrainian people" and the "destruction of our identity and values" by Russia in the last year. "Ukraine fights for a free and democratic Europe", said Alina Ponomarenko.
The deputy minister of parliamentary affairs highlighted "the courage of a people who have not given up, who continue to fight for freedom. "The dreams are no longer the same, but we must continue to dream," Ana Catarina Mendes said.
The session ended with a performance by the Ukrainian lyric singer Serhii Alkin. The exhibition "The Days of War" is open until March 26.
Comments