Themes by tag: culture

On October 21, a briefing in Kyiv will showcase the ongoing efforts to preserve the artistic heritage of the Mykhailo Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design, which was partially destroyed by a russian missile strike earlier this year.

The briefing will focus on the work carried out to stabilize, unblock, and safeguard the artworks rescued from the damaged building. Journalists will have a rare opportunity to visit the site, observe the restoration process, and view the recovered pieces.

The Academy suffered significant damage on March 25, 2024, when the central part of the building – home to a collection of unique works – was hit by a missile. The strike caused partial destruction, threatening the survival of invaluable art pieces.

Participants in the briefing will include:

• Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, Head of UNESCO Desk in Ukraine;
• Ihor Poshyvailo, Coordinator of the Agency for Cultural Resilience (ACURE) and, General Director of the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity;
• Svitlana Strelnikova, Director of the National Research and Restoration Center of Ukraine;
• Olena Osadcha, Rector of the Mykhailo Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design. 

Representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, as well as the Ministry of Education, have also been invited to attend.

Following the briefing, participants will be guided through an exhibition of the surviving artworks, led by Academy Rector Olena Osadcha.

Registration is required to attend the event.

For reference: The rescue operation was carried out with the support of UNESCO and implemented by Agency for Cultural Resilience (ACURE) in collaboration with the National Research and Restoration Center of Ukraine and the National Memorial Complex of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes – Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, alongside the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine. The operation also featured a specialized workshop, “Saving Cultural Heritage during War: Stabilizing Damaged Collections,” and two one-day intensive training sessions for museum staff and heritage conservationists.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Roman Didera is a veteran of the russian-Ukrainian war who served as a paratrooper and machine gunner. In 2015, he was drafted into the 95th Separate Airborne Brigade. By the end of the year, however, Roman began to experience severe knee pain. He gradually lost the ability to walk, and faced the threat of amputation. Timely prosthetic surgeries provided him with two hip replacements and set him on a new path.

Following the start of the full-scale invasion, Roman discovered a passion for embroidery, inspired by his wife, Mariana. His first piece was a beaded image of Jesus Christ. He also created a Bayraktar shirt. Since then, Roman has mastered approximately 40 traditional stitches to create authentic vyshyvankas, traditional Ukrainian embroidered shirts.

In three years, he has created 33 unique shirts, each a one-of-a-kind piece. In recognition of his skill, he was granted special permission to recreate a copy of Taras Shevchenko’s personal vyshyvanka. His expertise has earned him the title of Folk Master of Ukraine in Vyshyvanka and membership in the National Union of Folk Art Masters.

A dedicated online page, “Sorochka z rodu v rid” (A Shirt from Generation to Generation), now showcases and sells the embroidered works created by Roman and his wife.

Journalists can speak with Roman and his wife Mariana in Lviv or online, by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• culture
• military
• Lviv

In western Ukraine’s Lviv region, local authorities are offering a unique form of rehabilitation for military personnel and their families, a chance to reconnect with nature through horseback riding and a mountain ascent.

The Department of Sports, Youth, and Tourism of the Lviv Oblast State Administration has announced two upcoming events as part of its Travel Therapy initiative. On October 18, defenders and their families are invited to take part in a horseback riding trip at a local ranch. A week later, on October 25, participants will have the opportunity to climb Pikui – the highest mountain in the Lviv region.

Media outlets are welcome to cover both activities by prior arrangement.

For reference: The Travel Therapy program was launched by the Department of Tourism and Resorts of the Lviv Oblast State Administration to promote emotional recovery and leisure for service members, female defenders, and their families. The initiative offers guided trips and outdoor activities across the region for those currently undergoing rehabilitation or on rotation.

• culture
• military
• Lviv

An international charity boxing event is set to take place in Kyiv on October 11, featuring six matches between veteran athletes as part of the Ukrainian League of Combat Veterans Boxing. The lineup will include Ukraine’s first official boxing match between wheelchair veterans, as well as a fight for the national veteran championship title.

The evening will conclude with a professional bout as Ukraine’s former WBC world champion (2015-2016) Viktor Postol faces Spain’s Alejandro Moya for the International Boxing Organization title.

Media representatives are required to register in advance to cover the event.

• culture
• Kyiv

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