The Voice of Ukraine in Czechia: On the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation’s Partnership with Diplomat Vasyl Zvarych
The transition of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Czech Republic Vasyl Zvarych to the position of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has become an occasion for the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation to recall and thank him for a special history of partnership.
During his time working in Czechia, Vasyl Zvarych and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic he headed became for us not just a diplomatic partner, but a powerful support in implementing projects. He supported initiatives aimed at preserving Ukrainian identity abroad, helping Ukrainians talk about their history and culture, and at the same time explaining to Czech society what Ukraine is fighting for today.
At the closing event marking the first year of the educational program «Koreni ta Kryla: istoriya, yaka ob’iednuie» (“Roots and Wings: A History That Unites”) in Prague, Vasyl Zvarych said:
«Because of Russian aggression, millions of Ukrainian children today are scattered around the world. Thanks to this educational program, children strengthen their Ukrainian roots and gain additional wings to build a new European Ukrainian state».
National memory became another important area of partnership. Last year, at the Senate of the Czech Republic, the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation together with the Ukrainian Institute in Prague presented an exhibition marking the 100th anniversary of the Museum of the Liberation Struggle of Ukraine. Vasyl Zvarych joined the opening and emphasized:
«Memory is the foundation of our identity, which Moscow is once again trying to destroy today».
Together we built bridges through cultural diplomacy via contemporary Ukrainian cinema. With the support of the Foundation, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic, the British Council in Czechia, the Ukrainian Journal, and the Ukrainian Institute in Prague, in cooperation with the «Ruta» organization, the Ukrainian Initiative of South Moravia, and «Kinovarta» in Prague, screenings of Ukrainian films were held; in particular, during Ukrainian Film Week in Prague and Brno, ten Ukrainian films with Czech subtitles were shown, including «2000 Meters to Andriivka» by Mstyslav Chernov.
Also, at the invitation of the Ukrainian Institute in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and the city of Jihlava hosted the premiere of a reflective film by historian Oleksandr Zinchenko and director Serhii Lysenko about possible scenarios for Ukraine’s development in the 1990s, «What If Chornovil? A Better Scenario for Ukraine?».
A separate chapter of our cooperation was the exhibition from Czechia «War. Made in Russia», created together with the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II. The exhibition, presented in Prague — including within the walls of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, at the «Verbovska Zahrada» gallery, at the city library in Mariánské Lázně, and in the city council building in Hradec Králové — told the story of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, human losses, destruction, and the experience of Ukrainian society during the war.
Vasyl Zvarych emphasized:
«It is important to talk about what is happening in Ukraine, in particular about the crimes committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine, in order to further consolidate and mobilize international support for Ukraine, since Ukraine today is defending not only itself, but all of Europe, and above all the values on which Europe is built».
Another focus of our cooperation is countering Russian disinformation.
In June, the media outlet Texty.org.ua, with the support of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, presented the study «How Russian Disinformation Penetrates the Czech Information Space». Researchers analyzed 167,941 publications from 21 Czech-language online media outlets, 22,283 videos from 26 YouTube channels, and more than 1.8 million comments. 55 pro-Russian narratives were identified across seven thematic groups.
Vasyl Zvarych took part in the presentation of the study and emphasized:
«It is not enough to react only to the consequences. We need more decisive preventive actions».
This thesis resonates with the Foundation’s approach and values: not to wait for others to set the agenda for us, but to speak, research, connect, and create cultural and educational ties ourselves.
We sincerely thank Vasyl Zvarych for everything he has done and wish him success in his new position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are confident that many more interesting joint projects and events lie ahead!
