On 16 October, a delegation of experts from Africa, Asia and Latin America who had travelled to Ukraine to attend the fourth international conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South” visited Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and civilian sites damaged by Russian attacks.
As part of the cultural programme, the international visitors toured Saint Sophia Cathedral, one of Ukraine’s most important historical and cultural landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lecture was delivered by Nataliia Kryvda, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences and Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation. The visitors learned about Ukraine’s centuries-old history, the cathedral’s architectural and artistic heritage, and its significance for Ukrainian statehood. Particular attention was paid to the connections between historical events and the realities of life in Ukraine amid Russian aggression.
The next part of the programme took the international visitors to civilian sites in Kyiv damaged by Russian attacks. These included the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other civilian sites in the capital.
Representatives of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine told the delegates about the scale of the destruction, how emergency rescue operations are carried out and the constant threat of further Russian strikes during efforts to deal with the aftermath of attacks.
According to State Emergency Service representatives at the meeting, 131 rescue workers have been killed and more than 700 injured since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Rescue workers are also among the victims of repeated Russian strikes at sites where they are carrying out rescue operations, fighting fires and helping those affected.
The rescue workers’ accounts of working under constant threat and the scale of the destruction caused by Russia made a strong impression on the international visitors. Speaking with State Emergency Service representatives and visiting the damaged sites gave the delegates a deeper understanding of the impact of the full-scale war on Ukraine’s civilian population and the challenges faced by rescue workers who risk their lives every day to save others.
The visit to Kyiv was part of the programme of activities organised alongside the fourth international conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South”, which will take place on 19 October. The conference aims to deepen dialogue between Ukraine and countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, discuss shared international challenges and the consequences of Russian aggression, including the temporary occupation of Crimea, and strengthen international solidarity with Ukraine.
For more information about Crimea Global’s work in previous years and the latest updates, visit the official conference website: https://www.crimea-global.com/
Organisers: Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea https://ppu.gov.ua/en/ / Office of the Crimea Platform https://crimea-platform.org/en/, the Human Rights Centre ZMINA https://zmina.ua/en/, the Media Initiative for Human Rights https://mipl.org.ua/en/.
Partners: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrainian Institute, Transatlantic Dialogue Center.
The event was organised with the support of: International Renaissance Foundation, Askold and Dir Fund, administered by ISAR Ednannia with funding from Norway and Sweden, Hanns Seidel Foundation, Forum 2000 Foundation, and the Czech organisation People in Need as part of the SOS Ukraine initiative.