Today, 11 May, Alfonso Méndiz, rector of UIC Barcelona, and Artem Vorobyov, consul general of Ukraine in Barcelona, inaugurated, the photo exhibition “Life in spite of war. Ukraine: A human lens,” before members of the university community. An exhibition, which shows through 24 photos a daily and human look at current life of Ukrainian citizens more than 400 days after the beginning of the Russian invasion. 

First, Vorobyov thanked UIC Barcelona for its commitment to the Ukrainian community in the presence of teachers and students from the University. Next, the rector formally inaugurated the exhibition uncovering a sample of the photos which highlighted “the human and hopeful vision of Ukrainians in spite of the current situation in their country.”

Among the selected photos, a snapshot taken by Stanislav Ostrous of Maksym Burlaka, celebrating International Yoga Day in Kharkiv by practicing yoga next to a detonated missile embedded in the pavement. The photo taken by Viktor Kovalenko, who captures 12-year-old world chess champion Valeria Yezhova inviting passers-by to play checkers with her: “We play for the Armed Forces, we raise help for Ukraine.” The young woman raised 21,000 grivnas in donations.

The photo exhibition is part of the Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities and Cultural Studies subject Current Topics in History, taught by Professor Josep Serrano, who previously received a visit from Vorobyov last March when he gave the lecture: “Ukraine, a nation in defence of Europeanism.”

The choice of photographs and the preparation of the exhibition was organised with guidance from the Ukrainian Consulate, the professor of the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Humanities, Josep Serrano, and the dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Judith Urbano