Launch of Ukraine exhibition brings communities in North Yorkshire together
It will tour around libraries in the County
An exhibition documenting the experiences of Ukrainian refugees has opened in North Yorkshire.
It features stories of families who fled - as well as images of the Country before and during the war.
The exhibition was launched at Northallerton Library, where it will be on display until July 19 before touring libraries across North Yorkshire.
Ukrainians who have settled in North Yorkshire were present alongside North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for arts and culture, Cllr Simon Myers, elected member for Northallerton South, Cllr Caroline Dickinson, and the Mayor of Northallerton, Cllr Andrew Hugill.
Ukraine has been involved in a conflict with Russia since February 2022 with civilians under threat from bombs, missiles and drone attacks.
The display, funded by North Yorkshire Council, consists of six boards with photos and descriptions detailing Ukraine before and during the war and how refugees from the country have adapted to their new lives in the North of England.
It was the idea of Roman Pronyszyn, the Ukrainian community co-ordinator in Richmondshire, who had seen a similar project at the University of York, and it has been produced in partnership with the council, Helping Hearts North Yorkshire and the Richmondshire Refugee Support Group.
“The idea is very much about informing people,” Mr Pronyszyn said. “We believe the more people know, the better they understand and the more welcoming they become.
“This project explains to people what has happened and why these people are here. Since arriving, many have now got jobs and some have started their own businesses – we have a café owner and a consultant at the Friarage Hospital, for example – and all are settling in and making their mark.”
One of those to now call North Yorkshire home is Iryna Oliinyk.
A former solicitor back in her homeland, she now works as a customer response assistant with North Yorkshire Council’s health and adult services team.
“I had a nice life in Ukraine where I lived with my husband and daughter. Everything has changed,” she said. “We had to move abroad to keep my daughter safe.
“I cannot remember why we picked the United Kingdom, probably because it’s the only language besides Ukrainian that I could speak. I could say ‘hello my name is Iryna, London is the capital’ which isn’t really that helpful.
“I met my sponsor, Angela, online and she agreed to share her home with us in North Yorkshire. She has been really supportive, and I am really grateful. No-one expected us to be here so long, we have now been here three years. This is our life now.”