Dear Polytechnicians!
Celebrating the Independence Day of Ukraine, we annually remember the past, analyze various decisions of our statesmen, often complain that it was not done enough or done in a wrong way. We dream of what our life and our country could be if… But we do not always talk about our role in the formation of our state, what our decisions, behaviour, level of responsibility have influenced the way Ukraine has developed over thirty years.
These three decades have really had a tremendous transformational impact on each of us, from realizing the uniqueness and importance of Ukraine on the world stage to realizing that no one will do our work. Three revolutions – the Student Revolution on Granite, which was a decisive step towards the proclamation of Independence, the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity, which demonstrated how we can unite for a common idea – crystallized the awareness of how important everyone’s actions are. Remember: «I am a drop in the ocean», «in every drop is the power of the ocean». This sense of self-responsibility motivated many to heroism – to go to defense our state at first in Kyiv on Independence Square, and then in Donbass in the hottest places of hostilities of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which has been eroding our country for seven years!
Thirty years of Ukraine’s independence changed Lviv Polytechnic. We went through different times, not always everything went as planned, but the focus of our decisions was always primarily the interests of students and staff. Our University has always been and is at the epicenter of state-building processes: Polytechnicians of different generations fought for the sovereignty of the state and the right to be called Ukrainians. Many Polytechnicians today, sacrificing their lives and health, defend the integrity of Ukraine on the east, and with daily dedicated work contribute to the development of the country.
I want you to feel how powerful can be a wise decision made in time, a willingness to take a deliberate step and under no circumstances compromise with your own conscience. How important daily efforts and work are, and how, by caring for the well-being of our people, we ensure a successful future for our loved ones.
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to heroes!
Sincerely, Yurii Bobalo,
Rector of Lviv Polytechnic National University