As part of the European Youth Conference "Youth in the Life of Local and Regional Communities: Democracy in Action!", a photo exhibition titled 'New Lives, Same People: Ukrainians During the War' was opened. The event took place in the city of Braga, in northern Portugal. It showcases the reality of the war through photos by Ukrainian photographers Kostyantyn and Vlada Liberov and Yurii Dyachyshyn.
Over a hundred youth leaders and representatives from local and regional governments from more than 40 Council of Europe member states attended the opening. The exhibition demonstrates how the war has changed the lives of Ukrainians. Some defend the country, others volunteer, or simply try to survive. But many die—on the frontlines, in their homes, or during evacuation. The exhibition captures the real war in Ukraine, with each frame conveying the pain, resistance, and resilience of the Ukrainian people.
"Through this exhibition, you see our daily pain. The daily pain and suffering of those who survived. There are tens of thousands of young people who were captured by the Russians and taken to so-called rehabilitation camps, where they are stripped of their Ukrainian identity. Our youth prove that national identity is not just history. It’s a choice we make every day. It’s something we fight for every day. Sometimes, we are killed for it. Every day," said Andrii Chesnokov, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine.
The Minister for Youth and Modernization of Portugal, Margarida Balseiro Lopes, and the Mayor of Braga, Ricardo Rio, expressed solidarity with Ukraine, emphasizing that Ukrainian youth deserve support in their fight for freedom. The event was also attended by the Ambassador of Ukraine to Portugal, Marina Mykhailenko, the Chair of the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe, Nina Grmusha, and the Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, Natalia Radchuk.
The exhibition was initiated by the Ukrainian Community Center in Porto with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Portuguese Republic. The conference was organized by the Youth Department of the Council of Europe and the Braga Youth Center in partnership with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, the Municipality of Braga, the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth, and the European Youth Forum.
