The travelling photo exhibit “Ukraine: War and Resistance” by Fulbright Ukraine and Institute of International Education (IIE) Kyiv Office continues to expand its geography and format.
In April 2024 twenty powerful photographs depicting Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine, taken by J.T. Blatty, Oleksii Furman, Brendan Hoffman, Serhii Korovayny, Joseph Sywenkyj, Emine Ziyatdinova, and Oksana Parafeniuk were presented in the Netherlands, Zeeland province (in the southwest of the country). See. Featured photographs were selected by the students at University College Roosevelt in Middelburg from over 70 works. This project has been realized by Fulbright Ukraine with design provided by Marian Luniv and presented in partnership with the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies, the Province of Zeeland, Four Freedoms door het Jaar Heen, and Zeeuwse Bibliotheek.
The display’s opening premiere took place on April 11 within wider activities dedicated to the Four Freedoms Awards Ceremony in Middelburg.
Four Freedoms is a very prestigious international award, established to commemorate the values and principles of the historic Franklin D. Roosevelt’s State of the Union Address of January 6, 1941. Known as “The Four Freedoms Speech.” American President reasoned the need for more support and aid to Great Britain in World War II, as well as the growing of war industries at home. In this way, FDR called on all in the United States to protect the universal freedoms for all people around the world in: Freedom of speech, Freedom of worship, Freedom from want, Freedom from fear. The annual prize is awarded alternately in New York to Americans, or in Middelburg, the Netherlands, to non-Americans. Among past laureates of the Four Freedoms Awards are: U.S. Presidents Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; J. William Fulbright; H.R.H. Princess Juliana of the Netherlands; Nelson Mandela; Nancy Pelosi.
This year, the NGO Save Ukraine, which returns Ukrainian children from Russia and Ukraine’s occupied territories, and its founder Mykola Kuleba, received the International Four Freedoms Award 2024. The award ceremony and the first Dutch display of the photo exhibition “Ukraine: War and Resistance” were attended by 400 young people who were invited to the Niewe Kerk in Middelburg in order to meet with this year’s laureates: Save Ukraine, Mykola Kuleba (International Four Freedoms Award); Bellingcat, Eliot Higgins (Award for Freedom of Speech); Zumretay Arkin (Award for Freedom of Worship); Sônia Guajajara (Award for Freedom from Want); Grace Forrest, Walk Free (Award for Freedom from Fear). The event was attended by prominent guests: His Majesty the King; Her Majesty Queen Máxima and Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands; Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte; Franklin and Eleonor’s granddaughter, Anna Eleonor Roosevelt, along with several of her family members; and others. See.
On April 23, the site of the exhibition “Ukraine: War and Resistance” in Zeeland moved to the Town Hall of Middelburg. The photographs were presented during the Liberty Lecture by Ukrainian soccer champion Evgeniy Levchenko. See. The public was very impressed and moved, including the mayor of Middelburg, Harald M. Bergmann.
The following agenda includes additional displays in the Netherlands:
5 May – Vlissingen, Tea House, during the Liberty Festival
14 September-28 September – Nieuwdorp, Liberation Museum
We express our deep thanks to all our partners who enabled all displays and engagements with “Ukraine: War and Resistance” in Zeeland province, Netherlands. Special thanks go to the staff of the Roosevelt Institute for American Studies in Middelburg: Karen Kroese, Damian Pargas, Gaetano Di Tomasso, Dario Fazzi and Leontien Joosse, who supported the initiative from us, found funding for realizing the project, and continue to coordinate the exhibition’s travel.
The Dutch Edition of the Photo Exhibition “Ukraine: War and Resistance” reveals the power of cultural diplomacy and the strength of support for Ukraine in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands will be the first to provide Ukrainian Armed Forces with F-16 fighter jets this summer.
