On May 16, 2024, the Kyiv Zoo hosted the opening ceremony of a children’s slide in the form of the Turtle sculpture, which represents the symbol of the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.
This project is the work of both Vietnamese and Ukrainian designers. Ukrainian creators made it in the national style of Vietnam.
The grand opening was attended by distinguished guests – representatives of diplomatic missions of foreign countries accredited in Ukraine, high-ranking parliamentary officials, members of the Vietnamese community, soldiers and officers who took part in the Vietnam War, educators and cultural figures.
Dr. Nguyen Hoang Thanh, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, welcomed the guests.
“We are pleased to open a new “children’s slide” in Kyiv Zoo. It will be a place where children will be able to have fun in the zoo with their parents. In wartime, the zoo is a place where people can regain their balance after sirens and explosions. The Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine is very proud to have completed a modest project in cooperation with our Ukrainian friends to help Kyiv residents overcome today’s difficult time,” the ambassador said.
As it turned out, the project was conceived before the active hostilities.
“The project originated from my meeting with the mayor of Kyiv before the war. Back then, we were thinking of doing something to demonstrate the friendship between Hanoi and Kyiv. Today we are happy that after some time this idea has become a reality. This is the first time that the symbol of the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, has been displayed in public and in the heart of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. It is also a symbol of friendship between Vietnam and Ukraine.
Our two countries have experienced decades of friendly relations and mutual assistance, both in wartime and in the construction of each country’s homeland. The establishment of this symbol of friendship is both a reaffirmation of our cooperation and a commitment that we will develop Vietnamese-Ukrainian relations together,” added Ambassador of Vietnam to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova Nguyen Hoang Thanh.
In conclusion, Mr. Ambassador expressed his gratitude to Mr. Kyrylo Trantyn, Director General of Kyiv Zoo, for cooperation and support of this project, as well as to the two sponsoring companies: “Eurofood Service and Svetprint.
The official part of the event was followed by a performance by the Veselka folk artistic choreographic group of the Vasylkiv Center for Children and Youth Creativity.
Vietnam recognized independent Ukraine on December 27, 1991. On January 23, 1992, diplomatic relations were established between the two countries. The same year, the Embassy of Vietnam in Ukraine was opened, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Vietnam was also opened.
