Ukrainian Institute opens representative office in France

This was reported by an Ukrinform correspondent.

At the opening ceremony in Paris spoke Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Secretary of State for European Affairs with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Laurence Boone, French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak, and Director General of Ukrainian Institute Volodymyr Sheiko.

"You know about our country from the news, but it's time to learn about it more deeply and from a different angle. Namely, to learn about our culture, our literature, music, and cinema... Our culture has always been there, it is, and will be this way even if the enemy doesn’t want to admit it," said Olena Zelenska.

As Laurence Boone assured, French citizens want to better understand Ukraine and Ukrainians: "And for us there is no better method than to immerse ourselves in your culture! Be sure that the French will continue to stand with you." She also congratulated Ukrainians on the European Commission's decision to recommend launching EU accession talks.

According to Volodymyr Sheiko, the unprecedented international focus on Ukraine is opening up new opportunities for cultural diplomacy.

"Understanding, awareness, and cooperation between the two cultures makes our societies more informed and sustainable. To provide more opportunities for Ukrainian and international cultural figures, we are opening representative offices of Ukrainian Institute in key partner countries in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukrainian embassies," said the Director General of Ukrainian Institute.

Ivan Ryabchyi, the newly appointed head of Ukrainian Institute's representative office in France, singled out two main directions in the office’s work. The first is cooperation with higher educational facilities and the spread of cultural studies in universities. The second one is cultural programs supporting publications of Ukrainian studios and building bridges between various cultural organizations in Ukraine and France. According to him, the first event will honor the memory of Ukrainian writer Viktoria Amelina, "to show the French the current situation of artists in Ukraine and that they are constantly threatened." It should be recalled that in July, Viktoria Amelina was killed in Kramatorsk by a Russian missile strike.

The mission of the representative office is also to engage France in helping Ukrainian culture, restoring and rebuilding cultural heritage objects.

The foundation for the opening of the Ukrainian Institute in France was laid by Ukrainian volunteers, who in March 2022 launched the cultural project entitled Printemps Ukrainien ("Ukrainian Spring"). It was designed to introduce the French audience to Ukrainian culture. It conceived 96 cultural events that saw more than 40,000 visitors.

Ukrainian Institute is a state-run institution that represents Ukrainian culture and shapes the image of Ukraine abroad. Founded by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2017, it is supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its mission is to strengthen the international and domestic actorship of Ukraine using the opportunities of cultural diplomacy.

France is one of Ukraine's key partners in Europe and a priority country for cultural diplomacy, according to the strategy of Ukrainian Institute developed for 2020-2024.

The representative office in Paris will be the institute’s second foreign representative office. The first one opened in Berlin in March 2023.