Post #28287

🌟 On February 3, an exhibition “Stalingrad Suite” by the British artist and World War II veteran Kenneth Loynes was held at the historic premises of the Embassy of Russia in Norway, timed to coincide with the 83rd anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. The main guest of the event was Lyubov Kovaleva, a witness to the Battle of Stalingrad. Representatives of the diplomatic corps, Norwegian citizens, and compatriots living in Norway were also present. In his address to the guests, Ambassador of Russia to Norway Nikolai Korchunov emphasized: "The Great Patriotic War affected every family in our country. Today, we pay tribute to those who made our Victory possible. <...> In memory of the Battle of Stalingrad and all those who fell, we are opening an exhibition of paintings by British artist Kenneth Loynes, ‘The Stalingrad Suite’. <...> In times of geopolitical tension, culture and art remain one of the most important tools for restoring trust and reminding us of universal human values." During the evening, songs from the war years and classical musical compositions by Sergei Rachmaninoff and Sergei Prokofiev were performed by Timur Dorfman, Adrian Kharitonov, and Svyatoslav Grabovsky. Guests were shown an excerpt from a documentary film by Norwegian filmmaker Jarle Andhøy about veterans of the Great Patriotic War who survived the Battle of Stalingrad. An interview with artist Kenneth Loynes, provided by his friend Margrete Geurts-Lakin, was also shown. In conclusion, Nikolay Korchunov awarded our compatriot Tatyana Toresen with the Honorary Sign of a Compatriot of the Commission for the Affairs of Compatriots Living Abroad for her work in identifying the names of Soviet prisoners of war buried in Norway and searching for their relatives. #Victory81