Themes by tag: culture

Before the full-scale invasion, Oleh Slyvar was a professional folk dancer in Lviv region. Oleh changed his life radically in the summer of 2022, when he decided to join the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. Together with his brothers in arms, Oleh fought in the Donetsk direction. During one of the assaults, the man received numerous shrapnel wounds. Due to shelling, it was not possible to evacuate the soldier immediately. Later, at the stabilization point, the man’s heart stopped, however, doctors managed to bring Oleh back to life. The soldier lost his leg, but thanks to rehabilitation at the medical center, he learnt to live with an electronic knee prosthesis. And recently he returned to the stage.

Oleh is ready to communicate with the media online or in person in Lviv.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

From June 21 to 23, the Land of Dreams festival will take place in Kyiv celebrating its 20th anniversary. This year’s festival program includes: 15 thematic areas, 35 ethnic and folk bands, a book fair, craftsman alleys, children’s lawn as well as Crimean Tatar and Japanese spaces. This year the festival will for the first time feature a spiritual mystical scene and a poetry workshop.

Land of Dreams international ethnic music and culture festival is currently the largest of its kind, it’s been held in Ukraine since 2004.

One of the important missions of the festival has to do with helping children and the military. “Charity Fund of Oleg Skrypka “Kraїna Mriy” will hold special fundraisers and activities.

Among other things, the festival will feature a zone for writing “Letters to a Free Crimea,” exhibitions about military personnel from Crimea, and a fundraiser for the needs of Crimea special unit. In addition, the festival will also feature poetry from the front lines written and recited by the authors, who serve in the military.

Journalists have the opportunity to look at the detailed program of the festival and cover the event. Accreditation is required.

For reference: since 2004, the festival has been attended by about 1 million visitors, in addition to the traditional Kyiv location, it was also held in Lviv, Dnipro, Oslo and London. The festival is held in 2 seasonal formats – summer and winter. The festival has already featured craftsmen and performers from 30 countries.

• culture
• Kyiv

Taras Ishchyk decided to join the Defense Forces in 2021. Even then, the man felt that there would be a big war: he submitted documents to become a soldier in reserve and got into the 103rd brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces, where he is currently serving.

Before the start of the full-scale invasion, Taras had been responsible for the communications of his brigade and served as a press officer. Later, the military man began to receive requests from various military units that related to his civilian work, namely graphic design. At that time, almost every brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had its own pages in social networks, and they all differed in design. So the work that Taras performed for his brigade was scaled to the entire Armed Forces. The man created a guiding document – the Brandbook of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is a book of graphic rules for the military to follow. It was Taras who initiated the appearance of the official pages of the Defense Forces, which are seen by users of social networks.

The man is not yet thinking about returning to civilian life. Taras has many plans, which he dreams of implementing in the army.

For reference: Taras Ishchyk is in Lviv. The military man is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and in person, by prior arrangement.

• culture
• military

Anatolii Mytskan joined the Defense Forces with the beginning of the full-scale invasion. And already in April 2022, together with his brothers in arms, he defended the Zaporizhia direction. The veteran was on the front line for more than a year. During this time, he got numerous concussions, which eventually led to a stroke. Anatolii explains that he was lucky, because the stroke did not happen at the frontline.

Currently, the man is in Ivano-Frankivsk and is rehabilitating with the help of drawing. The theme of his paintings is war. In mid-June, Anatolii will bring 15 of his works to Lviv to hold a personal exhibition. He plans to buy drones and EW equipment for the army with the money he will get from the sale of paintings.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Ivano-Frankivsk

Originally hailing from Berdiansk, a city in the southern Zaporizhia region, with around 15 years of experience as a welder, Oleksandr Shaposhnyk’s journey into blacksmithing began in 2013 during a visit to Donetsk, now held under occupation, for the International Blacksmithing Festival. By 2015, he honed his skills to become a master of industrial training in hand-forged blacksmithing at the Berdiansk Machine-Building Professional Lyceum, where he imparted his knowledge to aspiring young blacksmiths. In a bid to foster community and celebrate the craft, he established the Steel Wave campus-based festival, drawing 44 talented counterparts from across Ukraine. Additionally, he adorned Berdiansk with the “Blacksmith Alley,” a collection of his sculptures that stood until the onset of the full-scale russian invasion.

To escape the occupation, Shaposhnyk navigated 13 checkpoints before finding refuge in Zaporizhia for six months. Ultimately, he resettled in Ivano-Frankivsk, a city nestled in the western expanse of Ukraine.

In a gesture of solidarity, a volunteer from Kyiv approached the blacksmith with a proposition: craft a sculpture to be auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. After pondering the concept for a month, Oleksandr conceived the Kalyna (Viburnum) Girl, fashioned from wire salvaged from the wreckage of power grids destroyed by occupiers and fragments of shells. This poignant piece now resides in a museum in Kyiv, slated for auction in Europe.

Building on this momentum, the blacksmith fashioned three additional sculptures from similar materials—Mavka, Berehynia, and Metal Motanka. Hoteliers snapped up two of these creations for 200 thousand hryvnias each, while a bank acquired another for a hefty sum of 2 million hryvnias. Generous volunteers ensured the proceeds reached the hands of Ukraine’s defenders.

In a creative twist, the artist repurposed the gearbox of a downed enemy Mi-8 helicopter to fashion two lamps. One lamp ventured to a UK auction, while the other fetched 23 thousand hryvnias in a sale orchestrated by local volunteers, funding the procurement of drones.

Presently, the industrious blacksmith is hard at work crafting a collection of robots inspired by the American film Living Steel, set to debut at an exhibition in Zakarpattia.

Journalists eager to delve deeper into Oleksandr’s narrative can arrange interviews either in person in Ivano-Frankivsk or through online channels.

• culture
• Ivano-Frankivsk

Oleksandr Knyha has been the director of the Mykola Kulish Kherson Regional Academic Music and Drama Theater for over 30 years. He is also an honorary citizen of Kherson and a member of the regional council.

At the start of russia’s full-blown invasion of Ukraine, Oleksandr found himself under occupation. On March 23, 2022, he was arrested by russian forces. After interrogation, he was released, but a few days later, they returned to the theater, attempting to coerce him into cooperation. Determined to escape, Oleksandr managed to flee on April 1, 2022.

Despite these harrowing experiences, he remained committed to his work. In Ukrainian-controlled territory, he prepared for the annual Melpomene of Tavria festival, which had previously been held in Kherson. He also launched the theater in evacuation.

Following the liberation of Kherson on November 11, 2022, Oleksandr and some actors returned to their hometown. Amid ongoing shelling, they performed in art hubs within shelters and bomb shelters, managing to revive several major performances, which were staged at Mykolaiv theaters.

Oleksandr, along with other residents, faced severe flooding due to the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station dam. His house in occupied Oleshky was submerged, with water levels reaching two meters. The house was later looted. During this time, Oleksandr actively participated in flood relief efforts in Kherson.

Oleksandr is available for journalist interviews, welcoming inquiries from both online and offline.   

For reference: On June 6, 2023, the russian military destroyed the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam in the Kherson region, causing Ukraine nearly $14 billion in damages, according to a report by the UN and the Ukrainian government.

• culture
• occupation
• russian crimes
• Kherson

Launched in the summer of 2023, the spiritual recovery program at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, known in English as the Monastery of the Caves has seen participation from 700 soldiers and 20 chaplains. Set within the historic confines of the reserve, the initiative aims to rejuvenate soldiers by immersing them in Ukraine’s rich cultural, historical, and spiritual heritage.

The program unfolds in two stages. The first stage is a 10-day program where military personnel engage in activities such as archaeological excavations of ancient walls and a glassmaking workshop dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. They also visit exhibitions at the Treasury of the National Museum of History and the Museum of Books and Printing, participate in an icon painting master class, explore the Upper and Lower Lavra, and join in worship services. The second stage, titled “Day at the Lavra for Military,” involves groups of veterans spending a day at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra with a lecturer-guide. They explore the grounds, take guided tours, participate in reserve activities, and visit local shrines. Additionally, the program offers support for the families of active duty servicemen and prisoners of war.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• religion
• Kyiv

Kharkiv-based cheerleading team Nice Ladies was created back in 2016. It is also referred to as the most mature cheerleading team, because all the participants are over 50 years old. Women were even listed in the National Register of Records of Ukraine. At the beginning of the full-scale war, the team suspended training, which resumed in September 2022 (5 participants remain abroad).

Currently, there are 8 women in the team. The youngest is 53 years old, and the oldest is 77. The women train despite the shelling of their hometown and despite the power cuts. They also had to change their practice space to a safer one.

Nice Ladies became the champions of Kharkiv, Ukraine, and now they would like to prepare for the European Championship, however, the team, which consists mostly of the retired citizens, lacks funding for this.

Journalists have the opportunity to communicate with the Kharkiv team in person.

• culture
• women
• Kharkiv

Before the outbreak of all-out war, Oleksa Melnyk managed a comic book store he co-founded with his wife in Kolomyia, a western Ukrainian city. Alongside his civilian pursuits, he lent his voice to films, TV shows, video games, and advertisements. Despite being called to duty at the onset of the conflict, Melnyk continued to nurture his creative passions even on the front lines. Over a decade ago, the concept for his book took root in his mind. Penned in a trench amid the chaos of war, Melnyk’s dystopian novel, titled “And I Will Tear the Fabric of Being,” was meticulously crafted during brief breaks between military duties. Remarkably, within four months, he completed the manuscript. Currently available for pre-order through Publishing 333, the book’s official release is slated for post-2022.

For reference: For media inquiries, Oleksa Melnyk, stationed at the front, is open to interviews with journalists, both online and offline, with prior arrangement.

• culture
• military

The Strategic Communications Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (StratCom of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) invites media representatives to the opening of the exhibition “Putting on a Pixel: Stories of Those Who Chose to Fight” on May 30, and the premiere of the documentary “Resistance and Unity: Writers Explain How Not to Lose the Future” on June 1 at the Book Arsenal 2024.

“Putting on a Pixel: Stories of Those Who Chose to Fight” highlights the stories of servicemen who successfully integrated their civilian skills into their military roles. The exhibition features illustrations by Mariia Kinovych, known for her work with Facebook, MacPaw, and The Economist, based on stories from servicemen. Featured individuals include Taras Ishchyk, a designer who crafted a visual style for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Anastasiia Blyshchyk, a television journalist now serving as a press officer for a combat brigade.

Speakers at the exhibition opening will include Mariia Kinovych, the servicemen featured in the exhibition, the StratCom command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the project coordination team.

The documentary “Resistance and Unity: Writers Explain How Not to Lose the Future” explores how Ukrainian culture resists the aggressor’s hybrid warfare and the impact of the large-scale invasion on Ukrainian literature. The film features insights from prominent writers, philosophers, and artists, including Volodymyr Yermolenko, Serhiy Zhadan, Oksana Zabuzhko, Oleksandr Mykhed, Iryna Tsilyk, and Artem Chekh.

The deadline to apply for media credentials is Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

In order to receive a press pass issued exclusively by the Book Arsenal, all media outlets are encouraged to complete an additional accreditation application by May 27.

For reference: For the first time, StratCom of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is partnering with the XII International Book Arsenal Festival, taking place in Kyiv from May 30 to June 2, 2024.

• culture