In the framework of the official visit of the Ukrainian President to Finland, President’s wife Maryna Poroshenko took part in the opening of the exhibition of prominent Ukrainian painter Yuri Khymych and visited Kallio elementary school with inclusive type of education.

“TOPOS by Yuri Khymych. Finland” is a history of a tourist trip of the Ukrainian master of architecture landscape of the XX century to Scandinavia in 1969 where a large series of gouache painting on paper was created.

The exhibition contains over 40 landscapes of Finland and memoirs of Mykhailo Khymych, son of the painter, about his father’s trip and friendship with the Finnish entrepreneur. Soviet authorities forbade to sell or present as a gift anything Khymych painted in Finland – all it was a “state property”. That is why the Finnish series has been stored in the family collection and several private ones.

According to Maryna Poroshenko, exhibition of landscapes of Helsinki, Porvoo, Turku and other Finnish cities was held in Kyiv in the late 2016. “It is very important that this project is now available for Finnish viewers, because Scandinavia has been waiting for this piece of art for almost half a century,” she said. The President’s wife emphasized that the given project was a confirmation of strong cultural ties of Ukraine and Finland.

The vernissage is held at the initiative of curator of the project Tetiana Kalyta and with support of the Embassy of Ukraine in Finland and the Ukrainian Association of Finland. The project is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the painter’s birthday, 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Finland and 100th anniversary of independence of Finland.

In the course of the visit to Kallio elementary school, President’s wife Maryna Poroshenko together with wife of the Finnish President Jenni Haukio examined the activity of the institution. The school teaches children with autism and speech disorders under an individual plan.

As for today, the school teaches over 380 children, including children with disabilities. The main task of the school is to teach tolerance and acceptance of diversity.

http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/u-finlyandiyi-marina-poroshenko-vidkrila-vernisazh-ukrayinsk-39730