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Klitschko and the mayor of Florence unveil the statue of Taras Shevchenko in Florence

09.03.2021
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko and the mayor of Florence Dario Nardella cut the ribbon at the monument to Taras Shevchenko. The bronze statue which is a gift of Kyiv to its sister city was created with funds raised by private philanthropists.

“Today marks the birthday of the Great Kobzar. To honour the famous Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko we are unveiling his monument which we have worked on for the past few years. I am grateful to my colleague Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence and all our Italian friends for their contribution,” said Klitschko at the unveiling ceremony. “From ow on the Italians and tourists from all over the world who will travel to Florence when the pandemic ends will see here a part of Ukraine’s cultural legacy,” he underlined.

The statue designed by the well-known Ukrainian sculptor Oleh Pinchuk is installed in the central square in front of Biblioteca delle Oblate, one of the largest public libraries in Florence and not far from the world-famous Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral.

The mayor of Florence Dario Nardella noted that the culture brings two sister cities Kyiv and Florence even closer to each other. “Just as Kyiv is Ukraine’s capital of culture and language, Florence is the capital of culture and language for Italy. Today, amid the pandemic it is the culture that helps us preserve our identity, strengthen our spirit and relations. We are here today for the common good,” emphasized Dario Nardella at the unveiling ceremony.

In 2015 through a collective effort of the Kyiv city government, the Embassy of Italy to Ukraine and the Parliamentary Friendship Group between Ukraine and Italy a statue of famous Italian poet Dante Alighieri (who was born in Florence) was unveiled in Volodymyrska Hirka park in Kyiv.