On April 17, the opening ceremony of the exhibition dedicated to Sofia Yablonska (1907-1971), a brave, free-spirited, and emancipated Ukrainian woman, was held at the Vietnamese Women's Museum in Hanoi. Sofia was a woman with a camera, a woman with a pen, and a woman with a profound perspective.

Sofia traveled around the world, including extensive travels through Southeast Asia. Vietnam was a significant stop during her round-the-world trip, a place she returned to with her family later in life. Her affection for Vietnam is evident in the evocative passages of her book "Far Horizons." She wrote about the people whose "faces are the secret flowers of the tropics," the huts surrounded by "the white flower of coffee," the "melancholy Hanoi," the Mekong River – "a free river... There will never be bridges on it," and the enchanting imperial city of Hue.

The exhibition showcases portraits of ethnic White Thai, Meo, and Khmer people, as well as photographs of Halong Bay and the daily life of the Vietnamese people.

The opening ceremony was attended by colleagues from the diplomatic corps, Vietnamese friends from artistic circles, and intellectuals. Guests had the opportunity to glimpse into the past through Sofia Yablonska's lens, finding themselves surprised at how much remains unchanged.

The exhibition, "Sofia Yablonska: A Lifetime Journey" will be on display at the Vietnamese Women's Museum from April 18 to 30.