Photo Exhibition “Portrait of Polish-Ukrainian Friendship” Opened at Chernihiv Polytechnic
On October 13, the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition “Portrait of Polish-Ukrainian Friendship” took place, telling real stories of Polish-Ukrainian solidarity, mutual support, and humanity.
The project aims to showcase the genuine experience of Polish-Ukrainian relations and remind people that behind information campaigns and propaganda lie thousands of stories of ordinary people who supported one another.
The authors and implementers of the project are Mariia Dehtiarenko and Olha Dehtiarenko.
Mariia Dehtiarenko is the founder and president of the Ukrainian “Helping Ukrainians” Foundation, a lawyer, PhD in Law, and a lecturer at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin and the State Tax University of Ukraine. She actively works to protect the rights of Ukrainians abroad and strengthen Polish-Ukrainian relations.
Olha Dehtiarenko is a designer and photographer with over 15 years of experience in design and visual communications. She engages in charitable and cultural initiatives, helping to bring important ideas to life through creativity, photography, and design.
Chernihiv Polytechnic National University was represented at the event by Olena Syzonenko, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology and honored worker of education.
The exhibition was first presented on June 9, 2026, in Lublin. Its journey will continue, introducing new audiences to the stories of its heroes and documenting the recent history of Polish-Ukrainian solidarity.
Project implementer: Foundation for Civic Activity (Fundacja Aktywności Obywatelskiej).
Partner: Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin (Uniwersytet Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie).
The project is implemented within the framework of the “Power of Cooperation!” (Moc Współpracy!) program, funded by the National Institute of Freedom – Civil Society Development Center using funds from the government program of the Civic Initiatives Fund NOWEFIO for 2021–2030.
The idea of the exhibition is to contrast real human stories with information manipulation and propaganda. It echoes the tasks pursued by the Chernihiv Polytechnic team in the international Erasmus+ project TeDiMeLi “Teaching Digital Media Literacy in Times of Societal Changes in Ukraine”. The ability to recognize propaganda narratives, think critically about information, and value reliable evidence is an essential component of media literacy, which the university fosters among students and academic staff.
The synergy of international projects involving Chernihiv Polytechnic enhances their impact. It fosters an environment within the university that values truthful information, intercultural dialogue, and European solidarity
You can watch video interviews with the project’s heroes via the following link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVXDsZjPCFjPsYCcost0P2nXDSgarqS_v&si=HpKh4zpb_7NlNAUg
