On January 18, 2012, an exhibition of paintings by the Honored Artist of Ukraine, laureate of Ukraine’s Taras Shevchenko National Prize, Mr. Valerii Franchuk, opened at the Athens’ Estudio Gallery. The exhibition is devoted to the 2012 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Hellenic Republic.

In addressing the attendees of the cultural event, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Volodymyr Shkurov, underscored that almost immediately after the Ukrainian nation in December 1991 has affirmed by its will its historic decision – the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, the Hellenic Republic announced its diplomatic recognition, and soon, on January 15, 1992, formally established diplomatic relations with Ukraine. The Chief of Ukraine’s diplomatic mission to Greece noted that Ukraine and the Hellenic Republic must be proud of the fact that in the 20 years afterwards, the relations between the two countries, that have been connected since ancient times by common pages of history, cultural ties and the Orthodox religion, have never been clouded by any misunderstandings, but have only witnessed a stable development of cooperation in various fields, including in culture.

This is evidenced, noted the Ukrainian Ambassador, inter alia, by the fact of holding in Greece of an exhibition of paintings by the renown Ukrainian master in the field of easel painting, Mr. Valerii Franchuk, whose works for more than twenty years have attracted numerous connoisseurs of art in Ukraine and abroad with a deep comprehension of the problems of history and modernity, as well as by the refined and original manner of painting.

The opening of the exhibition was attended by numerous representatives of diplomatic corps and mass media, members of the Ukrainian community in Greece and the Greek public at large.