“Knights of Light” exhibition opens in Paris, featuring works by Ukrainian artists defending Ukraine

As the director of the cultural center, Svitlana Fomenko, noted, none of the artists could attend the opening in person, but the soldiers recorded a video message from their places of service.

"It is important for me to talk about friends, about People with a capital letter, who defended or are defending our and your freedom. I dedicated my triptych to my friend Vovchyk. He did not give up when the country called for help. He died like a real Man, with a weapon in his hands. Vovchyk was cremated in Odesa. At that moment, I felt an existential void. Forever remember and be grateful to the Heroes," Bohdan Sokur said in his address.

The artist, who had already held three personal exhibitions, returned to his homeland after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine and joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a volunteer.

The exhibition also includes works by Danylo Skliarov, who began painting in 2020 while serving in the army.

Roman Khrushch, a painter and monumental artist, rose through the ranks from an infantryman to a squad commander and chief sergeant of an assault platoon in the Azov-Kyiv Special Operations Forces. In June 2023, he was seriously wounded but, after rehabilitation, returned to his unit as an instructor.

"Remember which Oselia your roots are from. Oselia is a place of origin. A place where you can always return to gain strength. A place that the enemy wants to destroy in order to cut off your roots and ties with Oselia. But if you fight for your home, for your Oselia, you will save it and eventually return to it, alive or dead," wrote Roman Khrushch as the textual accompaniment to his work.

Another artist whose works are featured in the Paris exhibition is Vitalii Haidar. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, he has been serving in the ranks of the 71st Separate Jaeger Brigade of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all while continuing to create art.

The opening of "Knights of Light" was attended by numerous representatives of international organizations and the diplomatic corps from various countries, including Malta, Georgia, Germany, and Sweden. Government officials and French patrons, such as members of the French Rotary Club, were also present at the event.

The works of Lviv artist and Shevchenko Prize laureate Volodymyr Patyk were brought to Paris by his daughter, Oksana. The Patyk Museum, which recently opened in Lviv, is the only non-private museum to begin operating during the full-scale war. The honorary consul of France in Lviv, Pavlo Yarema, played a key role in assisting with the transportation of the artist's valuable works.

The Knights of Light exhibition is set to go on a tour across various regions of France.