The exhibition, entitled 24.02, in reference to the date of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, features black-and-white photos by Polish photographer Maciej Biedrzycki documenting the drama of Ukrainians fleeing into Poland in the days following the invasion as well as the various manifestations of assistance offered to them by the Polish people.
The captions under the photos and the notes accompanying them are in Polish, Ukrainian and English.
Jarosław Czuba, a high-ranking official at the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, said during the opening ceremony that February 24, 2022 "went down in history as an extremely important date in Polish-Ukrainian relations."
He added that the photos on display "symbolise the unique moment in the history of the two nations."
The chairman of the Polish National Foundation, Marcin Zarzecki, said that the black-and-white photos make it easier for viewers to focus their attention on the message behind the display.
“These photos are not a pleasure to watch, nor are they to be admired, the idea being to tell the public about the tragedy of refugees and the high level of social mobilisation of Polish local government and public institutions,” he said.
The director of the National Cultural Centre, Rafał Wiśniewski, described the exhibition as "an event that cannot leave anyone indifferent."
He added that it "encourages everyone to keep on helping Poland’s Ukrainian neighbours as continued support is vitally needed."
The exhibition is being held under the auspices of Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Piotr Gliński.
(mk/gs)