On October 12, a photo exhibition on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Revolution on Granite (October 2–17, 1990) was held in the lobby near the Assembly Hall, Lviv Polytechnic. The organizers of the exhibition were Prosvita People’s House, Prosvita Society and the Student Brotherhood of Lviv Polytechnic.
The introductory speech was given by the moderator of the event, the chairman of the board of the Prosvita Society of Lviv Polytechnic, Professor Khrystyna Burshtynska:
– The event, which took place in Kyiv on the former October Revolution Square, became a catalyst for change in Ukraine. It caused the collapse of the communist system, destroyed the colonial status of Ukraine and led to the proclamation of our country’s independence.
Then Yurii Bobalo, Rector of Lviv Polytechnic, was invited to speak:
– Thank you very much, Polytechnicians, for the fact that you are not indifferent to the events taking place in Ukraine. And no matter how many events have taken place, I am sure that Lviv Polytechnic students will lead these events. Thank you and good luck!
Oleh Syniutka, People’s Deputy of Ukraine and at that time Deputy Chairman of the Student Brotherhood of Ivano-Frankivsk, was also a guest of the event. He noted that the Revolution on Granite was the first victory of Ukrainians after many years of defeat. Mr. Syniutka asked the students to bring everything to an end and go ahead to achieve great results, emphasizing that Lviv always leads the whole country.
Andrii Saliuk, Chairman of the Student Brotherhood of Lviv Polytechnic in the 1990s and a participant in the Revolution on Granite, Chairman of the Lviv Regional Organization of the Ukrainian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments, also joined the event and shared his memories of past events:
– At that time, on granite, the feeling of the phrase «alma mater» was very supportive and warming. I remember how we, students, were asked: «Is there anyone from Lviv Polytechnic here?» I replied that I was. Then I saw Vice-Rector Lopatynskyi standing in front of me and asking if we were all right. This sense of alma mater partnership was extremely important.
Ivan Paroviak, Director of the Lviv Polytechnic Publishing House and a participant in the Revolution on Granite hunger strike, said that the events of that time led to changes in Lviv Polytechnic, which became the foundation on which our university has been successfully developing for 30 years. Mr. Paroviak expressed his gratitude to Iryna Semenko, who made a lot of efforts to collect photos for the exhibition.
Among the guests there was Roman Masliak, the acting head of the Student Brotherhood of Lviv Polytechnic. The musical accompaniment of the event was provided by the Orpheus National Male Choir and guitarist and vocalist Andrii Khavunka.
The stands feature photographs depicting Polytechnic students who took part in the Revolution on Granite. The second part of the exhibition was prepared on the initiative of the Student Brotherhood of Lviv Region in cooperation with the Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, the Museum of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Center for Liberation Movement Studies, the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory and the Lviv Regional State Administration. You can see the photo on the first floor of the main building, in the lobby near the Assembly Hall.
