On May 5, 2026, the art gallery of the VSMU Library hosted the opening of the exhibition of graphic works by Honored Artist of Belarus Ivan Mikhailovich Stolyarov "Guerrilla Warfare" from the collections of the cultural institution Vitebsk Regional Museum of Hero of the Soviet Union M.F.Shmyrev.

The opening of the exhibition was held in a chamber-like, soulful atmosphere. In the space of the art gallery, a stylized "artist's workshop", there was a vinyl record player, where military and lyrical musical compositions were played.

The exhibition, dedicated to the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, presents 21 graphic works created by the artist, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, both during the war years and in the first post-war decades.

Dmitry Kuzhel, Vice–rector for Ideological and Educational Work, delivered a welcoming speech at the event. He noted that the exhibition of Ivan Stolyarov at the university is not just a cultural event, but an important component, a dialogue with young people who should feel history, understand the value of a feat, and be aware of their civic responsibility.

Irina Shishkova, Director of the Vitebsk Regional Museum of the Hero of the Soviet Union M.F.Shmyrev, spoke about the artist's creative legacy. Many kind and important words about the thematic exposition were spoken by the guests of the event: Mikhail Tsybulsky, Professor of the Department of Fine Arts at the Vitebsk State University named after P.M.Masherov, author and compiler of the catalog of works by Ivan Stolyarov "La vytokaj of the Vitebsk School of Aquari" and a leading researcher at the Art Museum, a branch of the cultural institution Vitebsk Regional Museum of Local Lore, art historian Anastasia Paprotskaya Street.

In their speeches, they emphasized the cultural and historical value of the exhibition and the important role of the graphic heritage in preserving the truth about the war.

The musical composition "Take the Overcoat" became the culmination of the opening ceremony. Her soulful performance by the 1st year student of the Faculty of Medicine, Jan Dendyubelev, filled with sincerity and a deep understanding of the meaning, caused a wave of emotions among those present. The audience froze, listening to every sound, and in this general silence something more was born than just a musical performance – it was the unity of souls, the realization of a common destiny and the inseparable connection of generations.

The exhibition will run in the art gallery of the VSMU library until the end of May.

The exhibition continues the university's tradition of preserving historical memory and confirms the library's mission not only as a repository of knowledge, but also as a living space for dialogue between generations.