At the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, an international academic congress entitled “To struggle on — that is to live…”, dedicated to the 170th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Franko, has opened in Lviv. The event, which runs from 24 to 26 September, has brought together scholars, researchers, lecturers, postgraduate students, as well as representatives of educational and cultural institutions from Ukraine and other countries.
The opening of the congress was attended by the Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Olena Kondratiuk, representatives of central and local government, local self-government bodies and the academic community. The Lviv Regional Council was represented by Chief of Staff, Yaroslav Hasiak, who underlined how relevant Franko’s legacy is for contemporary Ukraine.
“Franko is not about the past, he is about the present. His values resonate with our own times. I am proud that the regional council has declared this year the Year of Ivan Franko and that we can take part in many interesting events and delve even deeper into his legacy,” said Yaroslav Hasiak.
The congress programme covers discussion of Franko as a founder of the modern Ukrainian nation, his civic and political activity, and his literary and academic legacy. Separate sections are devoted to Franko’s philosophical views, to issues of economics, linguistics, journalism, art, and the shaping of national memory.
Considerable attention is also paid to the preservation and promotion of Franko’s legacy in today’s circumstances. A round table is planned on the digitisation of the writer’s creative output, along with several exhibition projects: “Hypostases of a Genius”, “Dynasty of Creators”, “Between Anniversaries” and “Franko Laboratorium 4.0. Manuscripts”. One of the symbolic events will be the planting of a commemorative oak.
The Lviv Regional Council is participating in marking this jubilee year together with municipal cultural institutions: the Ivan Trush Lviv Vocational College of Decorative and Applied Arts, the Ivan Franko Lviv National Literary and Memorial Museum, and the State Historical and Cultural Reserve “Nahuievychi”.
As part of this cooperation, a joint visual identity for the Year of Ivan Franko in Lviv Region has been created. The visual style was developed by students of the graphic design department of the Ivan Trush College after they had familiarised themselves with the writer’s life and work at the “House of Franko” in Lviv and in Nahuievychi.