"24.02" exhibition of the Polish National Foundation in Lithuania. "Dramatic story of war refugees from Ukraine, but also a story of international solidarity"

On the occasion of the year-long invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, the Polish National Foundation and the Vilnius Center for Culture and Spirituality presented a photographic exhibition „24.02” in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Vilnius, that is, 14 large-format photos, infographics and boards with descriptions in four languages (Polish, English, Lithuanian and Ukrainian).

The exhibition was held under the honorary patronage of Deputy Prime Minister Prof. Piotr Gliński, and curated by Dr. Marcin Zarzecki - PFN President and Michal Góras - PFN Vice President. The photographs were taken by Maciej Biedrzycki, and Krzysztof Kapłon is the author of the graphic design and infographics.

This is an extraordinary photoreportage from the places where, in this tragic and barbaric time of war, human fates were unfolding, accompanied at the same time by emotions of fear, anxiety, fatigue, uncertainty, enormous trauma and great compassion, open hearts for support and any necessary help, simply ordinary - Humanity.

„The exhibition „24.02” is a dramatic story of war refugees from Ukraine, but also a story of international solidarity and assistance provided to women and children in critical situations by Poles, Polish institutions and Polish organizations. It tells the story of what is beautiful, noble, and even heroic, in other words, selfless help, the capacity for empathy and selflessness. But above all, about the fact that even in a borderline, crisis situation there is some hope. This hope is created by other people.

Poland is referred to as a humanitarian power because of the unprecedented social mobilization and activity of public institutions in the work of supporting refugees from Ukraine. The convention of black and white photos was chosen to emphasize the drama of the war situation. We wanted to ensure that these photos do not give a sense of comfort, that the beauty of the photos does not obscure their meaning, they are meant to be a warning against indifference and to keep the memory of the events in Ukraine alive”

— said Dr. Marcin Zarzecki, Chairman of the Board of the Polish National Foundation.

The Polish National Foundation is very active in assisting Ukraine in its fight for freedom. It is worth noting for its support of the purchase of professional personal protection kits for the fighting men, shipments of donations to the victims of war, assistance to sick children from Ukraine, including the evacuation of children with oncological diseases to Poland, the protection of historical monuments from the destructive effects of war. In addition, the Polish Refugee Fund (PFN) financed Polish language instruction for Ukrainian refugees, supported the publication of a Ukrainian-Polish dictionary and funded scholarships for Ukrainian medical workers. It also arranged logistical support for foreign media to document the situation on the border to combat disinformation.

„Since February 24 of last year, the Polish National Foundation has been documenting the assistance that Poles have provided to Ukrainians caught up in the enormity of the tragedy. We know that people’s world collapsed from one day to another. The most painful thing in all of this is that it is not only soldiers who are being killed, but mostly civilians. In this exhibition, we wanted to present the solidarity offered to the Ukrainians by the Poles. To remind you that to this day there are about 2 million Ukrainians in Poland. The photos presented in the exhibition authored by Maciej Biedrzycki show this simple response of the heart that Poles offered to Ukrainians”

— said Michal Góras, vice president of the Polish National Foundation.

The exhibition is dedicated to those who fought heroically for the freedom of Ukraine and the victims of the war, refugees, and all those who offered selfless help.

Tłum. K.J.