Welcome! I am Oksana Azhniuk. Here are the headlines of last week (9–13.03.2015):

• our students celebrated the 150th anniversary of the first public performance of the Ukrainian national anthem;
• a Charity Foundation From Heart to Heart presented ophthalmological equipment for the regional children's hospital;
• scientists of Uzhhorod National University represented Ukraine at an international exhibition.

On the 10th of March 1865 at the first concert dedicated to Taras Shevchenko in the Western Ukrainian city of Peremyshl (now in Poland) a song «Shche ne vmerla Ukraina» («Ukraine is Still Alive») was performed for the first time. The lyrics by Pavlo Chubynsky was sung with the music by Mykhailo Verbytsky.

On the 15th of January 1992 Ukrainian parliament declared it the national anthem of Ukraine. This year we celebrate the sesquicentenary of the first public performance of the Ukrainian national anthem and the bicentenary of the author of its music. The students of our university performed the anthem at the main university building.

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A delegation from the Faculty of Tourism and International Communication visited a traditional exhibition in Budapest. Prof. Fedir Shandor and Oleksandr Koval from our university as well as Yosyp Torpoi from the centre of touristic information in Berehovo exchanged their experience with colleagues and had preliminary negotiations in the Department of Tourism at the Ministry of Economy in Hungary regarding common efforts in touristic informational activity of the countries of the Carpathian area.

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A Ukrainian charity foundation From Heart to Heart presented ophthalmological equipment to the regional children's hospital. The cost of the equipment is 235 thousand hryvnias. The money was collected during the charity activity in 2014 with the active participation of the students of our university. Yana Sydor, the regional coordinator of the Ukrainian charity foundation From Heart to Heart comments:

We collected 235,000 hryvnias. It was a difficult work, considering the dramatic current situation in Ukraine. Last year we collected 400,000 hryvnias, this year - a half of the previous amount. But we still could buy medical equipment for our hospital.

Thus, the regional children's hospital received a microscope for surgery and a laser installation. Dr. Liudmyla Khvoynytska, the Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, comments:

We also received equipment for therapeutic treatment, for children's eyesight stimulation which is very important now when practically all the kids use smartphones, tablets, TV and so on. This definitely affects their eyesight quality. This laser equipment is to improve the eyesight and the surgical equipment is for surgery. For several years, the students of Uzhhorod National University have been providing assistance with the organisation of this charity activity. The volunteers hope for their active support this year as well. This time the foundation will collect money for rehabilitation equipment. In April, the 10th project of the charity foundation will start. The organizers hope to collect enough money to buy an artificial respirating unit which costs near 30,000 euros.

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Every year the Department of the Ukrainian Literature initiates celebration of Taras Shevchenko's birthday at the Faculty of Philology. This year, on the 12th of March a concert entitled We Hear You, the Kobzar, through the Centuries took place at Uzhhorod National University. The concert included recitation of poems, performances and songs. The University library personnel prepared an exhibition about Taras Shevchenko where 20 different editions of the Kobzar book were presented, among them a book published in 1908 in Saint Petersburg.

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That were the main events of last week. This was Oksana Azhniuk, Mediacenter. Have a nice day!

Prepared by Oksana Azhniuk, Iryna Levina