The event took place at the Wielki Theatre/Polish National Opera in Warsaw on Thursday night.
Held under the auspices of Polish President Andrzej Duda, the concert was broadcast live by public broadcasters Polish Radio and TVP.
Guests included Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Deputy Prime Minister and Culture Minister Piotr Gliński and Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
The audience heard performances by the orchestra and choir of the Wielki Theatre/Polish National Opera, as well as the Slobozhansky Youth Academic Symphony Orchestra from Ukraine’s war-stricken northeastern city of Kharkiv, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Unable to function in battle-scarred Kharkiv, the Slobozhansky orchestra is now temporarily based in the southern Polish city of Katowice.
‘Poland stands with Ukraine’
In a speech to the gathering, the Polish culture minister said: “A year ago, Russia attacked Ukraine, a free and independent country. Russia wanted to destroy this nation and its culture. The Ukrainian people haven’t accepted this evil, they have been ready to sacrifice their lives to defend basic values.”
Gliński added: “Ukraine is not just defending itself, but it is also defending Poland and Europe, our entire civilisation. All the free people stand with Ukraine. We have stood in solidarity with Ukraine right from the start, and we continue to do so now.”
He also said: “Poland has stood with Ukraine from the beginning. We are supporting Ukraine on the front and here, in Poland, we are helping war refugees.”
Gliński went on to say: “Tonight’s concert is a tribute to Ukraine’s defenders and to the victims of this terrible war. It is also an expression of admiration for the defenders of Ukraine and a thank you to everyone who stands in solidarity with Ukraine.”
He told the audience: “Tonight’s concert is also a way of saying thank you to Polish citizens, officials, government agencies, NGOs, the whole Polish state, for what we are doing in support of Ukraine.”
‘Together we’ll win’: Ukraine’s Zelensky
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s envoy read out a letter from his country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky said in his message to the Polish people: “Polish roads have become life-saving roads for us, with assistance flowing through them to Ukraine. Polish cities and municipalities have provided refuge for millions of our compatriots. I thank you for this, Polish nation!”
Zelensky stated: “It is my belief that soon we’ll win a shared victory. I know that Polish honour will always be among the basic sources of strength for the entire Europe.”
He added: “Together we must channel all of this power to defeat Russian tyranny. Together we’ll win!"
Friday is day 366 of Russia’s war on Ukraine, which started on February 24, 2022.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP