Themes by tag: culture

The Drevo Rodu Kobzarskoho (Kobzar Family Tree) festival will take place in Poltava Oblast from July 31 to August 3, bringing the kobzar tradition back to life. The festival will be headlined by the Kryachkivske Drevo band. Among other events, the first day will feature a Panskyi Ball (Manor Ball) near the Zakrevskyi Palace.

The festival was founded by Yuriy Fedynsky. Born in the United States, he moved to Ukraine 27 years ago, as his ancestors came from the country. Fourteen years ago, he settled in the village of Kryachkivka in Poltava Oblast and has been working to revive kobzar traditions ever since. He founded a kobzar guild where he teaches people to make and play the Veresai kobza, kobzar bandura, Panskyi bandura, Mamai kobza and torban.

• culture
• Poltava

Irpin: Architectures of Memory is an interdisciplinary laboratory dedicated to exploring places of memory connected with the experiences of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The open call closed on 5 July 2026, attracting 143 applications from across Ukraine. Following the selection process, four interdisciplinary teams have been formed to work on four memory sites in Irpin over the coming months.

The laboratory focuses on:

• The Car Cemetery — civilian vehicles abandoned during the evacuation from Irpin. Curator: Ksenia Malykh.
• Heroes’ Alley — memorial banners commemorating fallen defenders in the city’s central square. Curator: Kateryna Semeniuk.
• The Blockposts — six defensive positions that formed Irpin’s frontline during the spring of 2022. Curator: Anastasiia Pasieka.
• Memory of Civilians Killed — a riverside memorial space dedicated to civilians killed during the occupation of Irpin. Curator: Lizaveta Herman.

The laboratory will officially launch on 1 August with a public introduction to the project and the first facilitated meeting with the Irpin community.

On 20–21 August, participants will take part in a two-day research expedition to Irpin. Working directly at the four memory sites, they will meet local residents, families, experts and project partners while conducting field research and collaborative workshops. The expedition marks the beginning of the laboratory’s practical work.

From August through November, participants will continue working with curators, community members and experts to develop interdisciplinary approaches to memorialisation grounded in research, dialogue and local experience.

The laboratory brings together architects, artists, urbanists, designers, historians, philosophers, researchers, cultural managers and professionals from other disciplines. The programme will run until the end of 2026, with the teams presenting their concepts to the community and the city in December.

The research expedition on 20–21 August is open to accredited journalists. The project team can facilitate interviews with curators, participants, community representatives and project partners, as well as provide access to field activities at the four memory sites.

Background: Irpin: Architectures of Memory was initiated by the Sigma Irpin Charitable Organization and the Irpin City Council with the support of the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU). The project’s special partner is the memory culture platform Past / Future / Art.

The laboratory is implemented in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, and the Kyiv School of Economics.

• culture
• Kyiv

Kyiv Military Hub and the Kyiv City Cruising Yacht Club invite veterans to take part in the “Sails of the Free” regatta. The event will take place in Kyiv on July 25.

“Sails of the Free” is a series of training and competitive events organized with the support of the Kyiv City State Administration specifically for military personnel and veterans.

The event aims to provide an opportunity for rest, emotional recovery and quality time together through teamwork, sailing and shared experiences.

• culture
• Kyiv

The Drevo Rodu Kobzarskoho (Kobzar Family Tree) festival will take place in Poltava Oblast from July 31 to August 3, bringing the kobzar tradition back to life. The festival will be headlined by the Kryachkivske Drevo band. Among other events, the first day will feature a Panskyi Ball (Manor Ball) near the Zakrevskyi Palace.

The festival was founded by Yuriy Fedynsky. Born in the United States, he moved to Ukraine 27 years ago, as his ancestors came from the country. Fourteen years ago, he settled in the village of Kryachkivka in Poltava Oblast and has been working to revive kobzar traditions ever since. He founded a kobzar guild where he teaches people to make and play the Veresai kobza, kobzar bandura, Panskyi bandura, Mamai kobza and torban.

• culture
• Poltava

On July 23, the final removal of the protective coverings and professional cleaning of the Mykola Lysenko monument will take place near the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv. The event continues the “Weeks of Improvement for Kyiv’s Historic Monuments” initiative, under which the capital’s landmark monuments are being uncovered after protective conservation and restored to a well-maintained condition.

The initiative is organized by the Department of Culture of the Kyiv City State Administration and the Shevchenkivskyi District State Administration in Kyiv, with support from the service company INWHITE (LLC “INWHITE”).

The first stage of the initiative began on June 25 at Mykhailivska Square with the professional cleaning of the monument to Princess Olha. The next site will be the monument to Mykola Lysenko — composer, pianist, conductor, educator, folklorist, and one of the key figures of Ukrainian musical culture. His name is closely associated with the development of Ukrainian classical music, the preservation of folk song traditions, and the formation of Ukraine’s national school of music.

Journalists are required to obtain accreditation.

Background: The work is being carried out on a charitable basis without the use of municipal budget funds. For INWHITE, participation in the project is a continuation of its Clean Day social initiative and a charitable contribution to the city as the company marks its 20th anniversary.

• culture
• Kyiv

Zoia Sever was born in Lviv but moved to Israel with her family as a teenager. For more than 15 years, she has dedicated herself to art, running her own painting and sculpture studios.

She is also actively involved in volunteer work. Following the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, she founded a charitable foundation supporting Ukrainian service members. She has also been traveling regularly to Ukraine as a volunteer and trainer with the Israel Trauma Coalition. During one of these visits, she came up with the idea for the “Window to Peace” project. Together with children, Zoia paints bomb shelters in schools, hospitals, and boarding schools, transforming them into more welcoming spaces. One of the project’s completed works is the bomb shelter at Kyiv’s Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital.

The project does not have a permanent team, and volunteer artists frequently join its activities.

Zoia Sever is available for interviews both online and in person in Lviv until July 27, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• volunteers
• women
• Lviv

On July 19, the Lesya Ukrainka National Academic Drama Theatre will host a performance of the tragicomedy “The Elevator Director,” based on the real-life stories of Ukrainian defenders undergoing rehabilitation at the UNBROKEN Center.

The play offers an intimate look into life inside a rehabilitation center, capturing its rhythm and the warmth of the relationships between patients and staff. Every scene takes place inside an elevator, where chance encounters lead to moving and often humorous conversations.

“The Elevator Director” was created as part of the Theatre of the Unbroken initiative at UNBROKEN. The play was written by veterans Pylyp Khvorostiankin, Ruslan Pryhoda, and Roman Onuchko in collaboration with playwright Iryna Harets.

Journalists are invited to attend the premiere and share the stories of Ukrainian service members for whom theatre has become a way to cope with trauma and adapt to life in new circumstances.

Media accreditation is required.

• culture
• Kyiv

From July 19 to August 9, Kyiv will host “Guardians of Freedom,” an exhibition of large-scale paper cuttings by Ukrainian artist Daria Alyoshkina. The exhibition features seven monumental works, each measuring up to 2.5 meters, brought to life through light, shadow, and Ukrainian symbolism.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors will be able to support the “Lovchyky” project, which organizes educational and cultural trips for the children of Ukrainian defenders from the 46th Podilska Brigade whose parents were killed, are being held in captivity, or are listed as missing. In September, 20 children will travel to Disneyland Paris. Funds raised will cover transportation, accommodation, meals, and admission to museums and cultural sites.

• culture
• Kyiv

On July 21, Kyiv will host the lecture and discussion Woman. War. Art. Oleksandra Ekster and the First World War, presented by Anna Lodyhina, author of a groundbreaking study of the renowned Futurist artist and creator of an original guided tour of places in Kyiv associated with Ekster.

The lecture will offer a glimpse into the creative process during a time of profound change, highlighting women’s resilience and sensitivity.

The discussion will also feature contemporary Ukrainian artist Polina Kuznietsova, who will speak about how the war has influenced her artistic practice and creative process, as well as share the experiences of fellow women artists.

The discussion will be moderated by Roman Kabachii, Head of the First World War Research Department at the War Museum.

• culture
• Kyiv

On July 18, veterans from the Kyiv Military Hub will take part in the SUBARU TRIATMAN SERIES swimming race in Kyiv, where they will complete a 1-kilometer open-water swim.

Just a few months ago, many of the veterans never imagined they would be able to swim such a distance. Thanks to regular training in the pool and open water under the guidance of coaches from the K-TEAM swimming school, they succeeded.

A major milestone came during the international Oceanman Kyiv 2026 competition on Obolonskyi Island, where the Kyiv Military Hub veterans successfully completed a 1-kilometer open-water swim for the first time in their lives.

• culture
• Kyiv