On 31 August 2026, the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Botswana marked the 35th anniversary of the restoration of Ukraine's independence with a ceremonial event, culminating in the official opening of the multidisciplinary art exhibition "Resilience: The Unbreakable Human Spirit" at the Thapong Visual Arts Centre, Gaborone.
The project, three months in the making, brought together ten leading Botswana-based artists — visual artists, sculptors, photographers, and fashion designers who created original works inspired by the resilience of the Ukrainian people. The pieces incorporate genuine artefacts brought from Ukraine: fragments of downed drones, remnants of missiles, burnt children books, fabrics, chornozem (Ukrainian black soil), sand and seashells from the Black Sea coast.
The ceremony was officiated by Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Botswana, H.E. Dr. Oleksiy Syvak, alongside Honourable Maipelo Mophuting-Dikoloti, Assistant Minister for State President, Defence and Security and Acting Minister for International Relations of Botswana, who, on behalf of the Government, reaffirmed Botswana's unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty, political independence, and territorial integrity, condemned Russian aggression, and proposed a toast to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the enduring friendship between the two nations.
In his remarks, Ambassador Syvak traced the diplomatic relationship between Ukraine and Botswana back to 1970, and outlined dozens of joint cultural, educational, and scientific projects realised since the Embassy opened its doors two years ago — from Africa's first monument to Taras Shevchenko to cooperation agreements between Ukrainian and Botswana universities.
Throughout the event, guests also contributed to the United24 fundraising campaign, supporting the purchase of ambulance vehicles for Ukraine.
The exhibition is open to the public from 1 to 13 September 2026.
The project was realised with the support of partners TSW, the European Union Delegation to Botswana, and O3 Beverages.