WASHINGTON, DC (7News) — A special performance Tuesday at the Kennedy Center by the United Ukrainian Ballet.

The event was to celebrate what’s called the Democracy Collection.

Bipartisan organizers say art is a universal way to strengthen goodwill and tell the story of diplomacy and democracy.

Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States, agrees.

“[We debated] whether it’s OK during this full-fledged war to continue our events with art, and we decided, yes, because [quitting] is what Russians wanted us to do. They wanted us to be destroyed, cry and die, but we will not do that. We will also celebrate our culture,” Markarova said.

The Democracy Collection is part of the Art in Embassies program run by the State Department.