Exhibition to showcase stories of ordinary Ukrainians forced to fight for freedom

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 the lives of millions in the land of sunflowers were upturned.

Ordinary civilians ditched their day jobs and picked up arms to defend their freedom in the face of Russian military might that bombed cities, raised neighbourhoods and occupied land.

The stories of these ordinary Ukrainian men and women is now being told in a photographic exhibition that opens on 14 October titled, The Price Of Freedom.

An initiative of the Maltese voluntary organisation the Foundation for the Ukrainian Community of Malta, supported by the Ukrainian World Congress, the exhibition will be held in the courtyard of the Malta Society of Arts.

The project not only shows these people in photos, but also tells the stories of artists, women, foreigners, and relatives and friends of Ukrainians in Malta.

“None of them had been professional servicemen or women, yet each made a conscious choice and went to war. Their decision was motivated by the desire to defend fundamental human freedoms, not only their own but also those of the entire society,” the organisers say.

The exhibition allows visitors to learn about the experiences of these “courageous heroes” whose lives changed radically on that fateful day in February 2022.

The exhibition runs until 28 October and entrance is free.

Additionally, on 20 October at 7pm, the exhibition will host an open, public Q&A with special guests Dmytro ‘Orest’ Kozatsky, a former captive Azovstal defender and photographer, and Neil Camilleri, a Maltese journalist and writer-director of the documentary Ukraine: A People’s War.

Exhibition Dates: 14 to 28 October

Venue: Courtyard of the Malta Society of Arts