The Days of Ukraine to be held in London for the first time

The cultural festival Days of Ukraine in the UK, first ever of its kind, will be held in London from October 17 through 19, 2013, organized by the Firtash Foundation Charity. The event will be held under the auspices of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and sponsored by Group DF.

Masters of different branches of Ukrainian art will display their achievements in London over three days. In particular, manager of the Ukrainian Fashion Week Iryna Danylevska will serve as the curator of a Ukrainian design show. Singer Oleh Skrypka will provide inspiration for a Ukrainian fair and Ukrainian singers and bands’ concert. Advisor to the director of the National Ukrainian Academy of Arts’ Institute of Contemporary Art Ihor Abramovych will be the curator of an exhibition of modern Ukrainian artists that will last for 10 days. The British will be welcome to taste Ukrainian cuisine and see works of folk craftspeople at the festival, too... The organizers estimate that the festival will attract more than 100,000 visitors.

“We see revealing Ukraine to Europeans as a country that is actively developing and shares European values as our main task. With this project, we will introduce the European public to rich history and cultural traditions of the Ukrainian people, as well as show the contemporary Ukrainian art to them. The project’s logo is a key, very symbolic, is not it? The Days of Ukraine in the UK have to reveal the nation to the British,” chairperson of the Firtash Foundation and of the Organizing Committee for the Days of Ukraine in the UK Lada Firtash described the event’s main objective. She said the festival would become an annual event.

Chairperson of the British Ukrainian Society Lord Risby told The Day: “Ukraine is a very interesting country with a rich cultural and historical heritage, and this festival will help it to reveal these advantages to the world.” Another guest of the presentation, a presidential advisor and head of the human development department at the Administration of the President of Ukraine Yurii Bohutsky said that this event ought to become a role model for other business owners. According to the managing director of Group DF Borys Krasniansky, such events help to create a positive image of the country and facilitate global market entry for Ukrainian businesses.