In memory of Kvitka Cisyk

Lviv – The Day learned about the project from its producer Alex Gutmacher. He is an American of Ukrainian origin, a native of Odesa and a professional musician. He didn’t know anything about Kvitka until 2006, when he heard her voice in Kyiv taxicab. It was the song “Cheremshyna”. On his return to America, he asked Ukrainians who Kvitka Cisyk was.

“It turned out that everyone knew about her,” says Gutmacher. “They told me that Kvitka was nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy. And then it turned out that in 1997-98 we were treated in the same oncological institute. I overcame sarcoma and she didn’t. I also learned that Kvitka’s sister and mother had also died of cancer.”

In 2007 Alex Gutmacher organized the program “Ukrainian Parties” where one could hear songs performed by Cisyk. He also organized the concert “Unforgettable Kvitka,” which her family visited.

“At that time the television crew of the television channel Inter was in America and they filmed this program,” recollects Alex Gutmacher. “That’s how the first Ukrainian-American project dedicated to Kvitka appeared. Soon a concert with the participation of Maria Stefiuk, Maria Burmaka, Nina Matviienko, Oleh Skrypka and American performers was held in Kyiv. After that we went on tour throughout Ukraine. In 2009 I made a presentation of the project in Lviv — in the Zankovetska Theater. We also opened a memorial plaque on 8 Hlyboka Street, where Kvitka’s family lived. Then with the support of the Lviv’s mayor Andrii Sadovy we opened a street named after Kvitka Cisyk; this moved the global Ukrainian community very much.”

“And then,” continues Gutmacher, “I came up with the idea to organize the International Contest of Ukrainian Romance named after Kvitka Cisyk. Nina Matviienko will head the jury. Americans, Canadians, Poles, Romanians, Serbians and Latvians applied to participate. Generally, we expect participants from fifteen countries.”

There is already an agreement with Lviv’s City Council that the contest will be held each year on April 4 — on Kvitka’s birthday. Entry to the concert will be free. Dmytro Volkov is the main patron of the project. Part of the revenues from the concerts will be used for the needs of women with breast cancer.

We provide the e-mail of the contest’s partner, the Public Organization Halytski Festyny, for those who want to financially support the charitable activity: galfest@gmail.com. Contact person: Halyna Dmytryshyn.