Biography of Oleksandra Matviichuk, lawyer and activist
Oleksandra Matviichuk, born on October 8, 1983, in Boyarka, is a Ukrainian lawyer and human rights activist. She graduated in law from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in 2007 and has led the Center for Civil Liberties since that year, an organization awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. She founded the Euromaidan SOS initiative following the crackdown on the 2013 protests and actively advocates for international justice, particularly by documenting war crimes in Ukraine. Since 2022, she has served as Vice President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).
Біографія Олександри Матвіюк, адвокатки та правозахисниці
Олександра Матвійчук, народжена 8 жовтня 1983 року в Боярці, є українською юристкою та правозахисницею. Вона здобула юридичну освіту в Київському національному університеті імені Тараса Шевченка у 2007 році і з того часу очолює Центр громадянських свобод, який отримав Нобелівську премію миру у 2022 році. Матвійчук заснувала ініціативу Euromaidan SOS після придушення протестів у 2013 році та активно бореться за міжнародне правосуддя, зокрема документуючи воєнні злочини в Україні. З 2022 року вона є віцепрезиденткою Міжнародної федерації прав людини (FIDH).
This story is about resistance to common evil, the idea that freedom knows no borders, and that human rights values are universal.
A poem-chair
“I adopted the chair, this familiar object, a few decades ago, at a time when I wanted to create art on a human scale in public spaces, while everywhere else people opted for the monumental: it is an object shaped like the body and serves the body. It is difficult to feel exclusive ownership of an object so universally shareable. It is mine when I occupy it, but if I leave it, someone else can claim it as their chair.” Michel Goulet, artist-sculptor
The project Prendre position
Prendre position is a sculpture-installation project of 47 chair-poems to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris. They were installed in a flowered meadow created especially for the occasion by the campus estate service.
This artistic installation was conceived by the Quebecois artist-sculptor Michel Goulet, in collaboration with François Massut, founding director of the collective Poésie is not dead.
Each house on the campus is represented by a chair, thanks to a donation from the Maison des étudiants canadiens and the support of the Labrenne group. Each of the 47 chairs is a unique work.
History and architecture of the house
From the very beginning of the conflict, the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris sought to welcome and support students, researchers, and academics affected by the war in Ukraine. To fund this initiative, it commissioned architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte to design a Virtual Maison de l’Ukraine, giving the project a clear identity. With the support of patrons and donors, this project became a tangible reality. The reception is carried out within the 47 houses on campus, with particular mobilization from the national houses, under the banner of Maison de l’Ukraine. A range of assistance and services has been implemented to meet the specific needs of its residents, in addition to housing.
