On the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, the Oles Honchar Dnipro National University honored the memory of those who died in the battles for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, and also opened a unique gallery of respect and memory of DNU.

It depicts teachers, students and employees of the university who died in the battles for the freedom and independence of Ukraine. Among the fallen are 37 representatives of the Dnipro National University. Two of them, Andriy Gusev and Vladislav Skvortsov, were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

The authors of the art space are Ksenia Penya and Anastasia Kovalenko, students of the Department of Fine Arts and Design.

“We created banners in graphic editors, and made the stand itself as minimalistic as possible. The art space is permeated with symbolism. This exposition will remain within the walls of the National University and will be improved. We will talk about our defenders and defenders,” shared the co-author of the art space Ksenia Penya.

"Today, the "Gallery of Memory and Respect" was opened within the walls of DNU. It is unique, there are no analogues in Dnipro. It is dedicated to our students and teachers who gave their lives defending the independence of Ukraine. Our goal was to create a space in which we can install a stele with photographs so that those who wish can come here and pay respect to the fallen," said co-author of the art space Anastasia Kovalenko.

Unfortunately, most of the students and teachers who died were graduates of the Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations. These are the sons who laid down their lives for the independence of Ukraine since 2014.

"It so happened that graduates of our faculty volunteered to go to the front and courageously fulfill their duties. Unfortunately, some do not return to us alive. All our graduates had many plans for life, but the war crossed them all out. Recently, we saw them as students with different characters and emotions. Our faculty suffered its first losses back in 2014. This was a student who defended his dissertation and a week later defended the state. He died during the defense of the Donetsk airfield, served in the "Cyborgs" unit. The memory of these people will always live in our hearts," said Vitaly Krivoshein, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and International Relations.

"We express our boundless gratitude to those who daily and nightly hold the front and do not allow the enemy to destroy Ukraine and Ukrainians. In the 11th year of the merciless war, today's date has acquired a personal content, because everyone has people to whom we mentally say every day: Thank you for life! Come back alive!

The front line today is more than 3,000 kilometers long, and our colleagues, alumni and students hold it. Unfortunately, 37 of them returned on a shield," said Serhiy Okovity, Rector of the Oles Honchar Donetsk National University.

He also emphasized that the virtual gallery of respect and memory of DNU, launched in 2023, contains photographs and information about all our fallen Heroes.