During her visit to France, the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the opening of the representative office of the Ukrainian Institute in Paris, the press service of the President of Ukraine reports.

"This is the second permanent representation of the Ukrainian Institute in the EU after the representation in Berlin (Germany). The team of the Ukrainian Institute will work at La Gaîté Lyrique (Paris Cultural Venue) with the support of the Open Society Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of France, the French Institute, the Paris Mayor's Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Embassy of Ukraine in France," the message says.

It is noted that the representation of the Ukrainian Institute in France was transformed from the Printemps Ukrainien (Ukrainian Spring) volunteer project, launched in March 2022. The aim of the project was to introduce the French audience to Ukrainian culture in response to the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The result was 96 cultural events that attracted more than 40,000 visitors.

Zelenska noted the opening of the representative office and the importance of the mission of the Ukrainian Institute during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She stressed that Russia is destroying Ukrainian culture now, and has been appropriating it for centuries.

"If you ask many Europeans now what they know about Ukraine not from the news, but from the sphere of culture, from books, which of our classical artists, writers, it will probably be a difficult question. It's a shame that the world is starting to learn more about Ukrainian culture and our contribution to the world only because of the Russian attack. But it's good that it is finding out. Because our culture proves: we are, have always been and will be. No matter how much the empire wants - and now wants - to appropriate us again," she said.

She urged Europeans to learn about the real Ukrainian contribution to world culture, to get rid of the imperial "optics".

"The time of empires has passed. The unprecedented attention of the world to Ukraine opens up new opportunities for cultural diplomacy between Ukraine and France, returns Ukrainian culture as a significant and integral component of the European one. It is for this that Ukraine and our entire culture are defending themselves now. And we are grateful to everyone who understands and supports us," Zelenska stressed.

It is expected that the Ukrainian Institute will become a bridge for dialogue between Ukrainian and French cultures, artists, scientists and just caring people, a platform for the presentation of Ukraine through concerts of modern and classical music, cinema, literature, a platform for discussions.

"In order to provide more opportunities to Ukrainian and foreign cultural figures, we are opening representative offices of the Ukrainian Institute in key partner countries in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Embassies of Ukraine," said Volodymyr Sheiko, Director General of the Ukrainian Institute.

The first step in the framework of the new partnership was the signing of a memorandum between the Ukrainian Institute and the Sorbonne University, which will open the way to Ukrainian studios, lectures, and the study of Ukrainian studies at the university.

The Ukrainian Institute is a state institution that represents Ukrainian culture in the world and forms a positive image of Ukraine abroad. The Institute was founded by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2017 and belongs to the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It fully started its activity in the summer of 2018. The mission of the Ukrainian Institute is to strengthen the international and internal subjectivity of Ukraine through the possibilities of cultural diplomacy.