Unissued Diplomas exhibit at the University of Alberta marks 2 years of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Lukian Podilsky for NP-UN.

The Ukrainian Students’ Society, University of Alberta organized a display of the Unissued Diplomas exhibit at the Rutherford Library Atrium, on the North Campus.

This is an international project taking place in numerous universities around the world, commemorating those students who sacrificed their lives for the sake of their Ukrainian nation.

“As university students of Ukrainian origin, we must remind others on campus that the war in Ukraine is not over, and that regular Ukrainians are continuously putting their lives at risk protecting the values of the democratic world,” says organizer Lukian Podilsky, Vice President of the Ukrainian Students’ Society (USS).
Students of the USS believe that the exhibit serves as a powerful reminder to the general university population that the war in Ukraine is ongoing, and that our continued support is crucial.

The exhibit, which was held February 26 – March 1, consists of 40 unissued diplomas of Ukrainian university students who never had the opportunity to graduate, as their lives were tragically taken during Russia’s illegal invasion. Each diploma features a short biography and photo of the victim, underlining the distressing reality that Ukrainian university students have been experiencing since February 24th, 2022.

Situated on a university campus, the exhibit evokes emotional feelings of relatedness for everyone who views the students’ stories.

“It is easy for students to get caught up in assignments and exams,” says Podilsky, “but we encourage everyone to visit the exhibit, and recognize the students who became victims of Russia’s aggression, although their previous lives were not all that different from ours.”

To learn more about the Unissued Diplomas Project, please visit the Unissued Diplomas website at https://www.unissueddiplomas.org/.

Since 1954, the Ukrainian Students’ Society has striven to uphold Ukrainian culture, language and traditions amongst students at the University of Alberta, and informs about issues relevant to the Ukrainian-Canadian community. By organizing Ukrainian events, activities and social gatherings, USS helps keep the Ukrainian spirit alive on and off campus. To follow along with more of USS’ activities, visit their Instagram page @uofa_uss

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