Russia began its war intent on breaking Ukraine’s nationhood, culture, freedom and spirit. Despite the bombing and amidst the air raid sirens, artistic events continue to be held in Kyiv.
Art exhibitions are opening their doors, while performances and art auctions are taking place to promote Ukrainian customs and help raise funds for the Armed Forces.
The National Conservation Area – part of St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv – is a cultural hub and the center for cultural development. Kyiv Post’s Aleksandra Klitina paid a visit recently to see what it had to offer.
Rushnyk Canvases
June 28 saw the opening of the exhibition “Rushnyk Canvases” by artist Zinaida Kubar.
“Traditional ornamentalism [referring to the patterns on embroidery] has always been a way of uniting the present with the cultural code and the energy of my land. I weave towels with paints and want to share part of my inner harmony with you,” Kubar explains.
The Sun Will Rise in Crimea
The installation “The Sun Will Rise in Crimea” – containing a message of optimism for the future – was set to open on Feb. 26 on the Day of Crimean Resistance to Russian Occupation. It was meant to honor those people who became the first victims and exiles of Russia’s occupation eight years ago. Though the opening has been delayed by the all-out invasion, having been kept safe for these past four months, it has risen again like the sun itself.
The peninsula is important not just at state level but for its mythology. It is impossible to count how many artists have painted Crimea over the decades, with both love and respect.
The exhibition features paintings by numerous artists, including Oleksiy Apollonov, Olena Pryduvalova, Oleksiy Belyusenko, Borys Firtsak and Olga Kravchenko. It also features installations by Anton Lohov and Rustem Skybin and ceramics by Irynyska Irystyro.
Road Diary
“Road Diary” is an exhibition of 82 works by well-known Ukrainian artist Matvei Vaisberg. They were created over a few months in Germany, where the artist and his family have found refuge since the invasion began.
Visitors can now admire these works of art in person at the Dukat Gallery, 5 Volodymyrska Street, from June 28 to July 20.
“I would never have drawn the Road Diary if the war had not started on Feb. 24, 2022. I started this series in early March and finished it in mid-May. Drawing at this time was not only an attempt not to go crazy, but also to make my small contribution to helping Ukraine”, says Matvei Vaisberg.
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