In the framework of the international educational trip to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which lasted from June 29 to July 11, students of the faculty of international relations visited diplomatic establishments and international organizations of Poland, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary, as well as tourist attractions.
During the stay in the Republic of Poland, students learned about the specifics of the work of General Consulate of Ukraine in Krakow, communicating with Consul Sergiy Tsaruk and Vice-Consul Maksym Muzychko, a graduate of our faculty; felt the spirit of terrible history at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Auschwitz; descended to a depth of 135 meters and overcame 3 km of paths of an underground city in the salt mines of the city of Velychka; enjoyed the beauty of the Tatras, climbed the funicular to the top of the Gubalovka Mountain (1123 m), visited the water park and enjoyed the bobsled track in the resort town of Zakopane; visited the exposition of the Schindler Factory, the MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art, the interactive Krakow History Museum, walked along the cozy streets of ancient Krakow, the Vistula embankment and the majestic Wawel.
In Slovakia, students attended the Embassy of Ukraine in the Slovak Republic, took part in a meeting with Advisor Olleksander Tsuprenko, first secretaries Svitlana Honcharevska and Natalia Bereza; walked in the Old Town of the cozy Bratislava and walked along the embankment; visited Bratislava Castle – a business card of the city, where the exposition of the Slovak National Museum is located; visited the exhibition hall of the Ministry of Culture, where it is now with the support of the Embassy an exhibition of paintings by the genius Ukrainian artist Ivan Marchuk. The delegation of Lviv University visited one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Slovakia, Cherven Kamen.
The program trip of students to Vienna was extremely rich and informative.
The city really fascinates – it is beautiful, majestic, and at the same time cozy and comfortable. During the stay in Vienna, students attended the visit to the Embassy of Ukraine, where Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Austria Oleksandr Shcherba kindly shared his diplomatic experience. Students visited the world’s oldest institution for the training of professional diplomats – the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna, where in a relaxed atmosphere a meeting was held with its director Emile Brits – an outstanding diplomat, the Ambassador of Austria to the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom, who described in detail the prospects of training and academics and shared experiences of diplomatic activity. They got acquainted with the structure of the OSCE headquarters in Vienna, listened to a lecture by the senior coordinator of the OSCE Office for Communications and Media Relations Florence Le Clezio and received information about the work of the organization. Representatives of the Lviv University actively debated with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Andrey Richter during a briefing on media freedom; received extraordinary satisfaction from the visit to the UN headquarters, gathering the most useful information from consultant David Demophaika; and, of course, spent all their free time immersed in the atmosphere of the charming Vienna, overlooking the magnificent palaces Belvedere and Schönbrunn, the Vienna Opera and Town Hall, the Albertina Museum, Prater entertainment park and enjoying every minute of your stay!
The final 4th day stay of the University delegation in Hungary was marked byfamiliarizing with the work of the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary and a meeting with First Secretary Ivan Lukachuk. Students saw the main sights of Budapest – Parliament, the Royal Palace, the Rybalsky Bastion, Mount Gelert, the Heroes Square, accompanied by an experienced guide, made an evening walk to the Danube on a boat, looking over the fantastic panorama of the city of thousands of lights and singing together Ukrainian songs; visited the oceanarium; made a trip to Esztergom – the spiritual capital of Hungary, Visegrad and its impressive castle, Szentendre and the Museum of Marzipan; rested on the lake Balaton and in the famous Szécheny baths.
These 13 days was a time for everyone to become good friends with others. Students felt sorry to split up for summer holidays, so we have already sat together to plan a new trip in order to gain experience of work of diplomatic institutions, international organizations and expansion of educational horizons.
We express our sincere gratitude to the Rector of the University, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Professor Volodymyr Melnyk, and professors of regional studies and international tourism, Yuriy Zanku, for the assistance, support and assistance in organizing international linguistic practice.
