The opening ceremony was attended on Wednesday, January 10, by CTU Rector Vojtěch Petráček, US Ambassador Bijan Sabet, Charge d'Affairs of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic Vitaliy Usatyj and representatives of the Fulbright Commission - Andrea Semancová for the Czech Republic and Mariia Kravchenko for Ukraine.
Rector Petráček recalled that the Russian aggression against Ukraine, but also against freedom and Western values, has been going on for almost two years. "We must not fall into numbness, and these hard photos from war-torn Ukraine will encourage us. Yet we know ourselves what it is like to have Russians on our territory. That is why we must continue to help this war to end with Ukraine's victory, so that those who have entered foreign territory leave it again," said Rector Petraček. He also spoke about the assistance that CTU provides to Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic (for example, accommodation at the CTU dormitories in Strahov) and about the aid sent directly to Ukraine. However, he also mentioned the university's cooperation with the Czech Army in the development and research of defence systems or in the medical sphere.
US Ambassador Bijan Sabet described the images on display as very emotional. He also said that he was glad that these photographs had appeared in Prague and allowed the truth to be seen. He said that we must not stop helping Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their defence. He also spoke of the legacy of Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, at whose instigation the Fulbright Programme was founded in 1946.
Andrea Semancová from the Czech Fulbright Commission also reminded us of the meaning of the Fulbright programme. "It is not only about cultural and academic exchanges, the broader goal of the Fulbright programme is understanding between nations. There is a war raging close to our borders, which we have been aware of for the last two years. And we must not stop noticing it. The photographs on display show Ukraine's tragedy, but also hope," Mrs. Semancova said.
Vitaly Usatyj, Charge d'Affairs of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, thanked all those involved in the exhibition and mentioned, among other things, the number of missiles and rockets sent by Russia to Ukraine between 20 December and 2 January alone. Vitaliy Usatyy also noted that Russia is a terrorist state and should be punished as such under international law.
The final speaker was Mariia Kravchenko from Fulbright Ukraine, where the idea of the travelling exhibition originated. She expressed her gratitude to the authors of the images - seven talented photographers from Ukraine and the USA who are Fulbright alumni. Mariia Kravchenko came directly from Kiev to attend the opening of the exhibition.
The exhibition of fifty large-format photographs with captions in English will be open to the public free of charge during the opening hours of the Bethlehem Chapel until the end of January.