“We must be proud of how grand, rich, and ancient our history is,” Deputy Speaker Olena Kondratiuk opens “The Ostroh Relic” exhibition in the Verkhovna Rada
14 July 2026, 16:40
To mark the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, on the initiative of Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Olena Kondratiuk, “The Ostroh Relic” exhibition was opened in the lobby of the Parliament.
According to the Deputy Speaker, enlightenment and historical truth are of paramount importance, especially at a time of the greatest civilizational challenges for Ukraine.
“For me, as a member of the Supervisory Board of the Ostroh Academy, it was a great honor and pleasure to open this exhibition. I am convinced that modern education, historical truth, and enlightenment are among the most vital elements of our resilience and unity. These are the driving forces that will help Ukraine overcome all difficulties and challenges,” noted Olena Kondratiuk.
The exhibition is dedicated to three symbols of Ukraine's thousand-year history: the Ostroh Bible (1581), the figure of Prince Vasyl-Kostiantyn Ostrozky, and the Ostroh Academy (1576) — the first institution of higher education in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
“This is the very foundation upon which Ukraine's first national revival was built, as noted by Mykhailo Hrushevsky. This exhibition is about understanding our identity. It is about taking pride in our grand, rich, and ancient history, especially on the eve of the state-level celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the birth of Vasyl-Kostiantyn Ostrozky and the 450th anniversary of the founding of the Ostroh Academy,” emphasized the Deputy Speaker.
She also announced that “The Ostroh Relic” exhibition will be showcased not only in Parliament but also in a format open to the general public — in Kyiv, Chernihiv, and many cities in the East and West of Ukraine.
The Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada thanked the co-organizers of the exhibition: the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and its Head, Vyacheslav Shtuchnyi; the National University of Ostroh Academy; and the Christian Open Academy.
The event was also attended by Dmytro Shevchuk, Vice-Rector of the National University of Ostroh Academy, and Mykola Davydiuk, Member of Parliament of Ukraine and an alumnus of the academy. The guided tour of the exhibition was organized by the Museum of the History of Ostroh Academy.