Themes by tag: culture

The musical ensemble Kobzar Armada is preparing for a unique tour along the front lines, from Baturyn to Kherson. The artists will perform for military camps, foreign battalions, schools, hospitals, bomb shelters, churches, cultural hubs, and more.

The tour is scheduled to begin on October 24 in Poltava and end on November 9 in Kyiv.

Journalists will have the opportunity to interview the band’s leader, Jurij Fedynskyj, and cover the concerts.

Background: Jurij Fedynskyj was born in the United States but moved to his ancestral homeland of Ukraine (Kyiv) 26 years ago. 14 years ago, he settled in the village of Kriachkivka in the Poltava oblast, where he has dedicated himself to reviving kobzar traditions.

On December 5, during the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee, the cultural significance of this art form was underscored when Ukrainian Kobzar art was recognized as an item of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Scholars believe kobzarism — the performance of historical, religious, and moralistic songs accompanied by the kobza, lira, or bandura — dates back to the time of Kyivan Rus.

• culture

On October 11, media representatives are invited to witness a remarkable display of resilience and creativity in Lviv, where a Ukrainian veteran will set a new national record by creating a painting from his wheelchair.

Valentyn Oleksiienko, 28, a patient at the UNBROKEN Center, was a tank driver in Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Tank Iron Brigade. His life changed dramatically on the front lines when, after digging fortifications, he dove into a pond to wash off the dirt, struck his head on the bottom, and sustained a complete spinal cord injury, leaving him with no feeling from the chest down.

Once indifferent to art, Valentyn discovered a passion for painting during his rehabilitation. With the guidance of Lviv-based artist Zirka Savka, he developed a unique technique that allows him to create expressive, one-of-a-kind works with his wheelchair.

The upcoming event will offer journalists a rare opportunity to observe Valentyn’s creative process and document the moment he officially sets a new national record. 

Journalists are required to be accredited to attend.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

On October 6, the International Cultural Diplomacy Forum will take place in Kyiv. This annual forum brings together Ukrainian and international diplomats, government officials, scholars, and cultural leaders to discuss the role of culture in international relations, sustaining global support for Ukraine, and building lasting peace. The event is organized by the Ukrainian Institute and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, with Media Center Ukraine as the main media partner.

A special highlight of this year’s program will be the inaugural awarding of the Khvylia – Dalğa Prize, which honors individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to promoting the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages worldwide. 

The forum will feature a report titled “Culture’s Role in Just and Sustainable Peace”, delivered by Nobel Peace Prize laureate, human rights activist, and Chairwoman of the Center for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Matviichuk.

Key representatives of the Ukrainian government and international partners are expected to attend the forum (specific details are withheld for security reasons), along with officials from Ukrainian cultural institutions, leaders of international cultural organizations, and subject-matter experts.

Advance accreditation is required by Friday, October 3, 11:00 a.m. Event location details will be sent upon confirmation of accreditation

• culture
• Kyiv

On October 1, Kyiv will host a public endurance challenge in honor of Ukraine’s Defenders. Organizers say the event is intended not simply as a display of physical strength, but as a symbolic act of unity and solidarity with the men and women who safeguard the country every day.

The challenge:

– 400-meter run;

– 10 pull-ups;

– 20 burpees;

– 25 air squats;

Three rounds in total.

Organizer: Agency for Mass Sports of Ukraine State Institution

• culture
• Kyiv

From October 1 to 12, Kyiv will host the Third Ukrainian Biennale of Digital and New Media Art – UBiennale 2025 “Field of Memory. Time of Restoration.” 

UBiennale’s new edition, “Field of Memory. Time of Restoration,” offers a space for artistic reflection where contemporary art and emerging technologies converge to examine memory, renewal, humanity’s bond with nature, and the fight for the right to exist and shape the future.

This year’s program brings together more than 20 works from 15 countries, spanning video and sound art, AR/VR/MR, generative and data-based projects, interactive and kinetic installations, and live performance practices. An exclusive international section will highlight artists from Spain, Portugal, and Poland.

For the first time, Ukrainian audiences will experience a VR piece from Austria, originally presented at this year’s Venice Biennale. The lineup also features a VR/immersive project from Lithuania inspired by the art and music of celebrated artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.

Visitors will find a wide range of Ukrainian premieres, including installations, video and audio art, bio art, VR experiences, AR projects, and even interactive tech-based costumes that can be explored through smartphones or TikTok filters. Among the Ukrainian participants are Veronika Cherednichenko, Sergiy Petlyuk, and Alena Grom with their project “Mavky. Camouflage,” which has already been successfully presented abroad; Oleg Kharch with a work exploring Elon Musk and Chornobyl; Dmytro Hreshko with a video installation based on the film “Divia,” featured at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival; and Yulia Ovcharuk with her collection of virtual costumes.

• culture
• Kyiv

On October 5, Kyiv will host the second All-Ukrainian Festival of Veteran Culture, “Kolo Veteraniv” (Veterans’ Circle). The festival aims to demonstrate that veteran culture is an integral part of contemporary culture and to foster a space where dialogue flourishes through art, creativity, and genuine interaction among people united by shared experiences.

The festival program will include performances by bands and solo artists who have found the stage to be an extension of their journey from the frontlines to creativity; theater productions that transform personal histories into drama and transform pain and memory into art; activities for children led by veterans.

Journalists can check the event program for more details. Accreditation is required to attend.

Background: There are currently about 1.2 million veterans in Ukraine. By the end of the war, the community of veterans, their family members, and the families of fallen defenders could number between 5 and 6 million people.

• culture
• Kyiv

The Committee of the All-Ukrainian “Rushnyk of Hope” campaign invites you to join the final stage of the initiative to support the families of those missing in action and prisoners of war. The event will take place on October 1 in Kyiv.

The campaign has united thousands of women from Ukraine and the diaspora, who have embroidered the “Rushnyk of Hope” as a symbol of love, unity, and prayer for the safe return of our Heroes.

Event program:

• Addresses by defenders’ relatives;
• Greetings from representatives of state authorities;
• Participation of military chaplains, clergy, and choirs.

Registration is required to attend.

Background: The campaign organizers are the NGO “Women’s Family”, which includes the associations “Women of the Territorial Defense”, “Women of the Armed Forces”, and the NGO “Born Free 2024” (93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade “Kholodnyi Yar”) – communities that have worked for many months to ensure missing and captured soldiers are not forgotten by society.

• culture
• women
• Kyiv

The Surma military music festival is a project launched by the Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II back in 2023. Held under the slogan “Song as a Weapon,” it aims to foster patriotic unity within Ukrainian society amidst the fight against full-scale Russian aggression.

Participants of the 2025 Surma military music festival:

• Honored Academic Orchestra of Ukraine
• Honored Academic Exemplary Orchestra of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
• Honor Guard orchestra of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky Separate Presidential Brigade
• Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the National Guard of Ukraine
• Sofiia Nersesian
• Ptashkin
• Artem Loik
• Bak$
• Harda band
• Bah.roma
• Vlad Bulakh
• Valeriia Okhtyrchanka

Media registration is required for the event.

• culture

Kateryna Sadurska, a native of Kharkiv, is a champion athlete who has won gold medals at the World Championships and set world records in freediving. Throughout her life, she searched for the perfect swimsuit that could withstand chlorinated water without deteriorating.

Eventually, she decided to create such a suit herself. She chose nylon made from discarded fishing nets recovered from the sea as the material. This fabric is resistant to saltwater and chlorine, and it offers UV protection. It can also be recycled multiple times. Kateryna designed the swimsuits and found a manufacturer in Kharkiv to produce her first collection. The project’s scaling plans were disrupted by the full-scale russian invasion, and Kateryna considered closing production. However, loyal customers kept asking if more swimsuits would be available, so she decided to keep the business going.

Kateryna Sadurska is available for interviews online and in person in Kharkiv from October 7-9 by prior arrangement.

Background: Kateryna Sadurska won first place in the Constant Weight Bifins (CWTB) discipline at the 2025 World Championship, which was held under the auspices of the International Association for the Development of Freediving (AIDA). The Ukrainian athlete dove to a depth of 97 meters, setting a new national record for Ukraine. This marks her second gold medal at this tournament. Sadurska’s collection now includes nine World Championship gold medals.

• culture
• women
• Kharkiv

In January 2018, Ona Uzoma Asompta, who was born in Nigeria, moved to Ukraine to pursue a medical education. She fell in love with Ukrainian culture, however, and after completing her studies, she decided to stay in Kyiv. After the full-scale invasion began, she evacuated to Portugal, but later chose to return to Kyiv despite the dangers.

Today, Ona does not work in the medical field. Instead, she works as a model and runs a social media blog where she shares insights about her life in Ukraine. Since the start of the war, she has also begun learning Ukrainian.

Ona Uzoma Asompta is available for interviews, both online and in person in Kyiv, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• women
• Kyiv