Oleksandra Matviichuk Met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

On 12 September, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Chair of the Centre for Civil Liberties, visited the Vatican as part of a delegation of female Nobel laureates. Together with other women who had received the Nobel Peace Prize, she had an audience with Pope Leo XIV.

“I brought him a black-and-white paper-cut artwork created by Sviatoslav, a teenager from Chasiv Yar. In this piece, he depicted his hometown, which was completely destroyed by Russian bombings. The boy has since relocated to Kyiv and is now under the care of the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation, which provided the artwork. I invited His Holiness to visit Ukraine to show support for the millions of Ukrainians suffering from Russian aggression. During the meetings at the Vatican, I spoke about the release of people from Russian captivity, the protection of children under Russian occupation, and the pursuit of a just peace,” said Oleksandra Matviichuk.