The First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniienko took part in the opening of the UNIDAY Festival of National Minorities (Communities) dedicated to the Day of Interethnic Harmony and Cultural Diversity.
The event was attended by the representatives of different national minorities and indigenous peoples of Ukraine, such as Crimean Tatars, Karaites, Greeks, Dagestanis, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Germans, Koreans, Roma and others.
In his greeting speech the First Deputy Speaker emphasized: Ukraine is the country where different cultures are united by common values.
«This is a special day. The day when the great multicultural family of Ukraine came together to not only celebrate its diversity, but also to feel our deep unity. Because in reality, it is not just a festival. It is a living map of our identity. It is proof that we can be happy together, even if we are sometimes different,» said Oleksandr Korniienko.
As part of the festival, he also joined the «Letters to a Free Crimea» initiative, which invites everyone to write messages to unlawfully imprisoned Ukrainians held by the occupying authorities in Crimea or deported from there to the territory of the russian federation. «I wrote words of support to a Ukrainian political prisoner. This simple act is a way to support our people and remind them that they are not forgotten,» the First Deputy Speaker noted, adding that a letter is a voice of support in the silence of isolation — it gives a person strength, a sense of presence, and humanity. It is also a clear signal to the prison administration: this person is being watched, and the world will not allow acts of abuse to go unnoticed.
According to him, there are currently more than 218 Crimean political prisoners, most of whom are Crimean Tatars. They are being persecuted for their human rights activities, journalism, faith, language, and indifference.
For more information on how to write a letter to a political prisoner, follow this link: https://surli.cc/cmysdi
Oleksandr Korniienko thanked each community that took part in the festival for their sincerity, openness and the contribution they make to the common Ukrainian cultural treasure trove. «Despite the difficult night in the capital, we are together today - and this is also a symbol. A symbol of endurance, dignity and humanity. It means that, despite everything, today we really feel alive,» he concluded.