The exhibition featured works by artists Victor Osetenko and Yuri Osetenko. "We live in times of dramatic injustice. Art can be a means of building bridges," KJF director Michael Able said at the start of the event. The patron of the extensive exhibition was His Highness Bishop Dr. Rudolph Woderholzer. "Today we respond with culture to cultureless — barbaric — war," he said.
Woderholzer expressed his sincere sympathy for the plight of the people of Ukraine: "When I was asked if I would accept the patronage of this exhibition, I did not hesitate for a second. This is a sign to humanity and a reminder to people of the greatness of man, his vocation to culture and his encounter with God. He quoted former Pope John Paul II, who said on the occasion of the Gulf War, "War is always the defeat of humanity." This sentence has lost none of its relevance. War does not stop in theaters, galleries and churches. "How should we deal with it?" The answer, he said, should be: Support Ukraine in its defense: "The principle of turning the other cheek applies only individually and ethically. States have no chutzpah." But it is also clear that reconciliation cannot be achieved with weapons alone. "That's why we rely on the power of prayer," Woderholzer said. "True worship of God will always serve peace. To use faith for war is always an aberration."
In his greeting, the bishop also touched on the motifs of the exhibition, with more than 60 works featuring houses of worship in the city of Odessa. "I am impressed to see so many churches of different denominations. I don’t know if we have such a collection for Regensburg," he said. "I hope the places of worship remain intact so that we have the opportunity to visit them in peacetime — in the original." He also noted the importance of churches to people, "Churches give a home and are a place of identity." To thank him for his commitment, Yuri Osetenko presented him with a painting depicting what was once the largest Roman Catholic church in Odessa. The place of worship was destroyed in the middle of the last century.
In her speech Tatiana Markova expressed sincere gratitude for the organization of the exhibition, especially to the philanthropist Bishop Rudolf Woderholzer for his contribution: "The culture of Ukraine and cultural workers need support in these difficult times — thank you with all her heart".
At the end, Yuriy Osetenko took the floor and introduced the exhibition to the audience. His speech was synchronously translated from Ukrainian. Most of the works were created by his late father Victor. All the houses of worship in the Black Sea city of Odessa are on display. "The fact that different denominations are represented by their churches is a common feature with our sister city of Regensburg," he said. Because during the Soviet era all artwork was inspected by a commission, some of his paintings are cropped around the edges. That was the only way they were allowed to be shown under Soviet rule. In 2009, they were exhibited at the Odessa City Hall and then at the cultural center in Jerusalem. Since the latter is also under Russian influence, Yuri Osetenko feared that his works might be confiscated after the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014. At the Israeli embassy in Ukraine, Osetenko successfully lobbied for their return.
Woderholzer expressed his sincere sympathy for the plight of the people of Ukraine: "When I was asked if I would accept the patronage of this exhibition, I did not hesitate for a second. This is a sign to humanity and a reminder to people of the greatness of man, his vocation to culture and his encounter with God. He quoted former Pope John Paul II, who said on the occasion of the Gulf War, "War is always the defeat of humanity." This sentence has lost none of its relevance. War does not stop in theaters, galleries and churches. "How should we deal with it?" The answer, he said, should be: Support Ukraine in its defense: "The principle of turning the other cheek applies only individually and ethically. States have no chutzpah." But it is also clear that reconciliation cannot be achieved with weapons alone. "That's why we rely on the power of prayer," Woderholzer said. "True worship of God will always serve peace. To use faith for war is always an aberration."
In his greeting, the bishop also touched on the motifs of the exhibition, with more than 60 works featuring houses of worship in the city of Odessa. "I am impressed to see so many churches of different denominations. I don’t know if we have such a collection for Regensburg," he said. "I hope the places of worship remain intact so that we have the opportunity to visit them in peacetime — in the original." He also noted the importance of churches to people, "Churches give a home and are a place of identity." To thank him for his commitment, Yuri Osetenko presented him with a painting depicting what was once the largest Roman Catholic church in Odessa. The place of worship was destroyed in the middle of the last century.
In her speech Tatiana Markova expressed sincere gratitude for the organization of the exhibition, especially to the philanthropist Bishop Rudolf Woderholzer for his contribution: "The culture of Ukraine and cultural workers need support in these difficult times — thank you with all her heart".
At the end, Yuriy Osetenko took the floor and introduced the exhibition to the audience. His speech was synchronously translated from Ukrainian. Most of the works were created by his late father Victor. All the houses of worship in the Black Sea city of Odessa are on display. "The fact that different denominations are represented by their churches is a common feature with our sister city of Regensburg," he said. Because during the Soviet era all artwork was inspected by a commission, some of his paintings are cropped around the edges. That was the only way they were allowed to be shown under Soviet rule. In 2009, they were exhibited at the Odessa City Hall and then at the cultural center in Jerusalem. Since the latter is also under Russian influence, Yuri Osetenko feared that his works might be confiscated after the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea in 2014. At the Israeli embassy in Ukraine, Osetenko successfully lobbied for their return.
