While on a visit to Lithuania, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with representatives of Lithuanian universities: Vytautas Magnus University, Mykolas Romeris University, Klaipėda University, and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. These institutions have joined the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies – an initiative dedicated to the study of Ukraine and Ukrainian studies at educational institutions worldwide. The Coalition already brings together 60 institutions in 23 countries.
“Russian imperial narratives continue to operate in many countries and shape Kremlin-driven public opinion. This is precisely why Ukrainian studies are needed: they will convey the truth about Ukraine from Ukraine itself. They will tell the story of centuries of oppression that Ukraine and Lithuania endured within the empire, of the difficult path of languages that were targeted for erasure and Russification, of the deportations of entire peoples, including the fate of Crimea and its people, who have suffered – and continue to suffer – new Russian repression,” the First Lady emphasized.
In addition, the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine visited the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Vilnius together. The Center has operated under their patronage for nearly four years.
“The Ukrainian Cultural Center in Lithuania is unique. Nowhere else in the world is there such a center operating under the joint patronage of both states. My gratitude to Lithuania is boundless. I thank, in particular, Vytautas Magnus University, which provided premises for the Center, and personally my colleague, Mrs. Diana,” said the wife of the President of Ukraine.
Since its establishment in June 2022, the Center has hosted more than 4,600 events. It offers daily activities for children and adults, cultural and sports-and-wellness events, language courses, operates a Ukrainian Saturday school, and runs a children’s summer camp. It also hosts meetings that bring the international community together in support of Ukraine.