Themes by tag: culture

The 11th Vyshyvanka Run will take place on August 25 in Kyiv. Traditionally, the organizers gather professional athletes, amateur runners and children to run distances of 5, 10 and 21.1 km. The annual event is timed to the Independence Day of Ukraine and takes place in different cities and countries. The special feature of the event is the Ukrainian Vyshyvanka pattern on the sports uniform, in which the participants run the distances.

The event is initiated by Oleksandr Kuzin, Ukrainian track and field athlete and marathoner, long-distance running coach, participant of the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Since 2023, the Ukrainian company Creative States has become one of the organizers of the patriotic race.

The run is a charity event. This year, the organizers will help the studio of sports medicine and rehabilitation “Liberi Studio,” which currently rehabilitates military personnel for free. 15% of the registration fees will be used to support the studio.

Combatants can compete free of charge.

For reference: the race is organized by the Ukrainian company Creative States in partnership with Taras Bulba marathon club.

• culture
• Kyiv

On August 23, the War Museum will host the opening of “War: Reverse Perspective” large-scale exhibition project. This exhibition attempts to cover the history of World War II and the russo-Ukrainian wars through artistic reflections. The curators have selected pieces of art with different imagery and unique ideas. But in both cases, they reflect the most tragic periods of Ukrainian history.

The reproject presents the works by 40 contemporary artists from all over Ukraine (Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk) and 39 artists whose works are kept in the Museum’s stock collection. There will be over 150 pieces exhibited in an area of ​​almost 2,000 square meters inside the pedestal of the Motherland Monument.

The presentations are to include speeches by Rostyslav Karandieiev, acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy; Yurii Savchuk, Director of the museum; a representative of Nova Poshta; exhibition curators Yurii Horpynych, Maryna Bohush and Anton Lokhov. The opening will be attended by artists, whose art is presented at the exhibition, and relatives of artists of the 20th century.

Journalists must obtain accreditation.

For reference: The project is implemented with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

• culture
• Kyiv

On August 21, Kyiv will host the IRON EGGS charity veteran sports festival. It will bring civilians and veterans under one team with the purpose of raising funds for an OSSUR sports prosthesis for an active serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Dych (“Dalnoboi”). The cost of the prosthesis is UAH 450,000.

The program of the festival includes: a 7-km, an 18-km and a 35-km march; open golf lessons; 1,000-meter swimming race in open water; open football practice; archery; open pickleball lessons; petanque training and competitions; open sitting volleyball training.

Speakers of the festival:

• Vadym Svyrydenko — Presidential Commissioner on Rehabilitation of Combatants.;
• Volodymyr Nechyporuk – producer of the IRON EGGS festival;
• Valery Dych (“Dalnoboi”);
• Serhii Khrapko – a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose left leg and left arm were amputated; a participant in 120-km and 18-km walking marathons.
• Alla Borysenko (“Chonhar”) – head of the Svyatenko Rehabilitation Clinic;
• Olha Benda – captain of the Ukrainian national team in amputee football;
• Vlasta Shovkovska – President of the All-Ukrainian Federation “Healthy Lifestyle” NGO.

Journalists are required to obtain accreditation for the festival.

For reference: the festival is organized by the National Council for the Sports Rehabilitation of Defenders of Ukraine and YANKO Charitable Foundation with the assistance of the Kozyn Village Council.

• culture
• Kyiv

For the fifth year running, the “Watch Ukrainian!” Association will present the Film Bouquet festival as part of the high-profile Bouquet Kyiv Stage art festival. This year’s Film Bouquet maintains its focus on the “Culture vs. War” theme, underscoring the Ukrainian struggle to preserve their values and way of life.

On August 16, the festival will feature a pre-premiere screening of “Da Vinci,” a film that chronicles the life and valor of Dmytro Kotsiubaylo, a Ukrainian volunteer, Hero of Ukraine, and commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion. Kotsiubaylo, who fell in battle on March 7, 2023, near Bakhmut, is celebrated for his heroism.

The following day, August 17, will see the premiere of the documentary “Culture vs. War,” an exposé on the current war through the lens of prominent artists who have joined the Armed Forces and cultural figures actively engaged in volunteer efforts. This film had its international debut on February 24, 2024.

Additionally, on August 17, the festival will offer a pre-premiere screening of “Perun’s Flute,” which features raw footage from the combat zone.

The Culture vs. War project will also host two panel discussions on August 16 and 17. Topics include “Cultural Genocide: From Crime to Punishment” and “Cultural Diplomacy: Paths to Development,” featuring notable cultural figures, artists, and government officials.

Journalists interested in covering the event should apply for accreditation to access the festival program and activities.

• culture
• Kyiv

On August 14, representatives of the Book of Records of Ukraine will officially document the record for the smallest icon in Ukraine. This rare piece will be presented in Kyiv’s National Reserve “Sophia of Kyiv.” The icon has been made by painter Natalia Kushnir, a member of the National Union of Icon Painters of Ukraine.

According to preliminary data, the size of the “Image of Edessa” icon is 4 mm x 5.5 mm. Final measurements with special devices will be made when documenting the record. The icon has been painted with a hair-thin brush on a miniature disk of natural mother-of-pearl with a diameter of 19 mm. The craftswoman had to use an 8x magnifying glass to paint this icon.

Pre-accreditation is required.

• culture
• Kyiv

Journalists are invited to chat with the author of the “Seen” project Yulia Bevzenko and sculptor Yurii Biliavskyi.

“Seen” are two bronze check marks indicating messages that have been read in messengers. Families write to soldiers, soldiers write to their fellow soldiers, children write to their parents who are on the occupied territories, and all together write to the dearest people who are in high-risk regions and cities that have been shelled. This mini sculpture is a tribute to everyone who must wait for two check marks for long hours or even days on end.

Guests:

• Kateryna Prokopenko and wives waiting for the coveted check marks from their husbands,
• Oleksii Erinchak and co-founders of “Sens on Khreshchatyk” bookstore.

Pre-accreditation is required.

For reference: Kateryna Prokopenko is a Ukrainian illustrator, public activist and volunteer. Head of the Association of Azovstal Defenders’ Families NGO and the Charity Fund for Support of Families of Azovstal Defenders. Wife of Denys Prokopenko, Commander of Azov 12th Special Purpose Brigade.

• culture
• Kyiv

There is a functioning exhibition hall “Aquarium. Amazing Fish” in Kramatorsk, 20 kilometers from the front line. The couple Roman and Iryna founded this exhibition center in 2020. Before the full-scale invasion, they had managed to bring together the largest collection of marine fish in Donetsk region.

Nowadays, visitors can see a wide variety of aquatic life in the Aquarium: from tangs to flagfish. There is also an ocellate river stingray. In addition, the Aquarium sheltered two turtles amidst the war (one was found in the city garden with one leg bitten off, and the other one’s aquarium cracked due to shelling).

As a result of blackouts, both marine and freshwater animals died in the exhibition center. And due to the proximity of “Aquarium. Amazing Fish” to the front line, the founders are thinking about whether they will have to evacuate all the marine inhabitants to safety.

Journalists have the opportunity to communicate with Iryna and Roman online or in person.

• animals
• blackout
• culture

In civilian life, the serviceman with the call sign “Scythian” painted landscapes and trekked through the mountains and steppes of Ukraine. It was for this reason that the man received the call sign “Scythian” in the army. The fighter does not disclose his name for security reasons.

With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the soldier joined the “Khartiia” (Charter) 13th brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine. Even in the army he found use for his skills: “Scythian” camouflages weapons and vehicles so that they become invisible to the enemy. The military man is also in charge of the artillery calculation in the brigade. In the breaks between military missions, he continues to paint pictures and experiment with drawing techniques. The landscapes painted by the soldier mostly depict Crimea, because the military man dreams of returning the peninsula under Ukraine’s control.

The serviceman with call sign “Scythian” is on the front lines. The soldier is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• military

On August 7, Kyiv will host the inauguration of the “Alley of Unbreakable Cities,” an exhibition organized by Dobrobat. Sculptor Jan-Pavlo Roman, the exhibition’s creator, describes it as a tribute to the remarkable strength and resilience of Ukrainian cities subjected to russian missile attacks over the past two and a half years.

The exhibition will showcase columns, each dedicated to a different Ukrainian city that has endured the aggressor’s strikes. These columns are adorned with fragments of missiles that have struck buildings, transforming deadly remnants into symbols of defiance, resistance, and renewal. The notches on the columns represent the number of missiles that have targeted each city.

This exhibition serves not only as a memorial to the war’s victims but also as an expression of solidarity and gratitude toward cities that have steadfastly resisted occupation and continue to fight back.

For reference: Dobrobat is a volunteer building division focused on the urgent restoration of housing and infrastructure in areas recently liberated from occupation.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The BuhurtSich project is leveraging the medieval sport of buhurt to bolster the psychological well-being of Ukrainian military personnel. Buhurt, a team sport that simulates knightly combat in full armor or protective gear, has proven to be not only visually striking but also therapeutically beneficial, as evidenced by its impact in other countries.

In the U.S., many participants in buhurt have been former military members who credit the sport with helping them manage PTSD, overcome substance abuse, and even stave off suicidal tendencies. Beyond its physical demands, buhurt fosters a strong sense of community.

The BuhurtSich project has been active for over 10 months, attracting 171 participants to its training sessions. Among them, one veteran has even taken up blacksmithing to learn the craft of armor-making.

Journalists are invited to explore and report on this innovative initiative in Kyiv.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• psychological support
• Kyiv