Elena Zelenskaya at the opening of the UNESCO exhibition: Our cultural heritage is our soul that no war will kill any war

On the third day of the visit to New York (USA) to participate in the events of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the wife of the President of Ukraine Olena Zelensk, together with the director of the Museum of Art Metropolitan (Mat) Max Halline and Vice-President Kennet Winnet presented a campaign with Ukrainian. Creation of Ukrainian -language audio commentaries for museum exhibits.

The Metropolitan Museum is a well-known US Art Museum, founded in New York in 1870 to increase the interest of the American people in history and art. It is the fourth in the world of museum in the world. The institutions of the institution have more than 2 million exhibits that present the history of human culture in 5 thousand years.

In connection with Russia's military aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the subway recognized the artists Illya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Arkhip Kuinji, who were born in Ukraine, Ukrainian, not Russian, and accordingly signed their work in their exhibitions. “We continue an important project for Ukraine - these are Ukrainian -language guides in the world's monuments. We have already joined almost 70 landmarks in 43 countries. So I sincerely thank you for the initiative "Matus says in Ukrainian".

The appearance of an audio in Ukrainian from one of the best museums in the world is an act of solidarity, a position that is very valuable to us. It's not about the tourist option, although it is also important. When the subway says in Ukrainian, it automatically confirms: it is the language of culture and humanism. The language of the people on the side of which is true, ”Olena Zelenska emphasized.

In addition, in the fields of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the First Lady, together with UNESCO CEO of UNESCO Azula, and with the participation of Albania Prime Minister Edie Rama, Prime Minister Malta Robert Abla Peace and stability through culture: intersection of culture, crisis and sustainable development.

" The purpose of the exhibition is to strengthen international solidarity to protect culture in military conflicts and to demonstrate a role played by culture in peace, stability and development. The exposition will demonstrate how UNESCO protects the cultural heritage in the contexts of Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan and Ukraine. The exhibition presents the pictures of Ukrainian architectural monuments destroyed by Russian aggression, in particular the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa.

“He is over 220 years old. It was part of the city for many generations. Russian rockets hit him at night. They pierced the roof, damaged the paintings. And in the morning, except for rescuers, there were many other people. They did not come to look at the consequences. They came to clean. Imagine: after a sleepless night when they and their families could not sleep because of shelling. This is our Ukrainian attitude.

We perceive history as part of our lives, our memory, ourselves, ”Olena Zelenska said. She thanked UNESCO, donors of the Emergency Heritage Fund and all partner countries who help restore, preserve and save Ukrainian monuments. The first Lady reminded that the recently included UNESCO in Lviv and the Sophia Cathedral in Kiev in the list of world heritage. “I urge the audience to see in these photos not just a bunch of stones, not just the debris that the aggressor has turned our sights.