Olena Zelenska thanks Portuguese authorities for recognizing Holodomor, supporting justice
During her visit to Portugal, the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska took part in the opening of a memorial plaque in Lisbon to the victims of the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-1933, the press service of the President's Office of Ukraine reported on Wednesday evening.
"Both our countries lived through a very difficult 20th century, fighting against dictatorships and tyranny. And now Ukraine is forced to defend itself against revanchism and encroachment by the very empire that organized the Holodomor. The great-grandchildren of those who survived the artificial famine are now forced to save their lives from Russian missiles," she said.
The Parliament of Portugal recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people back in 2017. The First Lady thanked for condemning the crimes and supporting justice, including historical justice.
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska also attended the opening of a Ukrainian bookshelf at the Municipal Library of Cascais.
"I am pleased to be here on an optimistic occasion – the opening of a book collection that will expand knowledge about Ukraine and unite our countries in truth. I believe that culture is stronger than destruction, and we are stronger with it," Olena Zelenska said.
The opening was the result of the joint efforts of the Embassy of Ukraine in Portugal, the Ukrainian Community, the Ukrainian Institute and the Office of the Crimea Platform. So far, 200 such shelves have been created in 50 countries of Europe, Asia and America.
The First Lady also thanked Mayor Carlos Carreiras for making the shelf possible. In addition, she highlighted his consistent support for Ukraine, including sheltering Ukrainians from the very beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. Moreover, Cascais provides humanitarian support and financial assistance for the reconstruction of educational infrastructure in Bucha and Irpin.
"In particular, the EUR 500,000 allocated to Bucha was used to reconstruct a lyceum and an elementary school. Both institutions are currently operating offline, providing education for hundreds of children," the President's wife said.