You're reading: Welcome, 2016: What we expect from this year

As the year begins, the Kyiv Post looks at the events that will shape 2016 in art, culture and entertainment.

Movies: ‘Captive,’ ‘Luxembourg,’ ‘Polina’

Young Ukrainian actress Polina Pechenenko stars in “Polina” fantasy movie on Nov. 7 in Kyiv. (Courtesy)

Planned for release in February, the documentary “Captives” by director Volodymyr Tykhyy is a story of a young EuroMaidan Revolution activist Sashko and his search for what had happened with the police trooper that he captured during the standoffs.
One of the most anticipated releases is “Luxembourg” by Myroslav Slaboshpytsky, the director behind the acclaimed 2014 movie “The Tribe.” His new movie is about the people who reside in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. “Luxembourg” will be released at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2016.
Another release this year is “Polina,” a €2 million family fantasy co-production of Ukraine, Belgium, and France. It’s a story of a girl trying to figure out what happened to her missing parents. The movie will hit theaters in fall of 2016.

The year of soccer

Ukraine national soccer team players celebrate their goal against Slovenia during the Euro 2016 playoff football match between Ukraine and Slovenia at the Arena Lviv stadium on Nov. 14. (AFP)

Fans of Ukrainian soccer teams will have a lot to see this year. For the first time in 17 years Dynamo Kyiv will play in the playoff stage of the Champion’s League. Dynamo’s Round of 16 opponent is Manchester City, and their two-legged series is on Feb. 24 and March 15.
Later in the year, the national team will compete in the European soccer championship in France. The first group fixture is against Germany on June 12.

Boxing: Important fights for Klitschko and Usyk

After having his first defeat in 11 years last year, Wladimir Klitschko will fight Briton Tyson Fury in a rematch. The date of the boxing match is not fixed yet, but both sides said it will happen.
Ukrainian cruiserweight Oleksander Usyk will fight for his first heavyweight title in April or May. Polish boxer Kshyshtof Glovazki will be his opponent.

Visa-free travel

In December, the European Commission said Ukraine fulfilled all the conditions for a visa-free regime with the European Union. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin expects the visas to be canceled in summer.

Prominent renovations

Restoration of the 17th-century Zhovkva Castle in Lviv Oblast is planned for completion this year thanks to Hr 3.8 million that the government allocated. The castle lost its original beauty due to faulty restorations in the past.
Bialy Slon (White Elephant), a castle-like former observatory on the top of Pip Ivan Mountain in the Carpathians will be renovated, too. This fairy tale-like building stands on a height of 2,018 meters and serves as a mountain rescue point.

English translations of new Ukrainian books

“Airport” (2015), a novel by Los Angeles Times journalist Sergei Loiko, will be published in the English and German languages. The novel is based on the heroic defense of Donetsk Airport by Ukrainian soldiers and volunteer battalions against Russian-separatist forces between May 2014 and January 2015.
Another anticipated translation is a collection of autobiographical short stories by Oleg Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director illegally imprisoned in Russia. The book will be published in English and German.

Ukraine turns 25

On Aug. 24, Ukraine will celebrate its 25th anniversary of independence. Traditionally, music, concerts, and outdoor events accompany the celebrations, while citizens put on their ethnic or modern embroidered garment vyshyvanka and pin or bind a strip in yellow and blue colors of the national flag.

30 years since Chornobyl disaster

On April 26, Ukraine marks a sad 30th anniversary of the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. Approximately 100,000 square kilometers of land was significantly contaminated and nearly 2 million people have been affected by the tragedy. To secure the exploded reactor, a new shelter over it will be built by 2017 with financial help from foreign donors.

Most anticipated shows

Legendary German rock band Scorpions will perform in Kyiv on Feb. 19 as part of their 50th anniversary tour. Tickets are selling for Hr 590–3,490.
On March 3, Kyiv night club Stereo Plaza will host British synthpop duo Hurts with their new album “Surrender” (Hr 700–3,500).
Once very popular, The Prodigy band comes to Kyiv’s Palace of Sports on April 12 to give a concert in support of its newest album (Hr 690 – 2,990).
Ukraine’s most successful band Okean Elzy will perform on June 18 in the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv (Hr 250–1,750).
American cult punk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers (RHCP) will perform in Kyiv on July 6 as part of the Ukrainian music festival U-Park. RHCP last visited Ukraine in 2012. Tickets go for Hr 960–1,900.

New restaurants

Several new eateries will open their doors in Kyiv this year. Asian food lovers wait eagerly for the opening of Bao, a modern Chinese cuisine restaurant, on 14 Mechnykova St. The opening date is yet to be announced.
Serhiy Husovsky, a Kyiv restaurateur and a Kyiv City council member, plans to open a new restaurant on Strutynsky Street in Pechersk, Kyiv’s oldest and most prestigious district. The restaurant will serve Italian and European cuisine yet its name and prices remain undisclosed.

Ukrainian premiere of Václav Havel’s play

Kyiv and Prague actors will present the joint staging of “Redevelopment,” a play by Václav Havel, a Czech writer, philosopher, dissident and last president of Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic. The tragicomedy ridicules bureaucratic arrogance and will be presented to the Ukrainian public on Oct. 5, the day of Havel’s 80th birthday.