On phenomena of art and necessity for changes

Shevchenko prizes were ceremoniously presented to the laureates and a soiree held in commemoration of the poet’s 194th anniversary.

Among these year’s laureates are: stage director Oleksandr Dzekun and actor Volodymyr Petrov for the play Berestechko staged by Rivne’s regional academic Ukrainian music and Drama theater; writer Liubov Holota for her novel Epizodychna pamiat; composer Hennadii Liashenko for the cantatas Misteryia tyshi and Vitrazhi i peizazhi for a cappella choir, based on Taras Shevchenko and Bohdan-Ihor Antonych’s poetry; stage director Vitalii Malakhov and actors Natalia Sumska and Bohdan Beniuk for the play Of Men and Mice; poet Petro Perebyinis for the collection of verse Pshenychny hodynnyk; sculptor Vasyl Sidak for a wooden sculptural series; film director Mykhailo Tkachuk for the documentary series Zahadka Norylskoho povstannia; artist Valerii Franchuk for the cycle of paintings Rozhoidani dzvony pamiati in commemoration of the Holodomor victims; vocal group Pikardiiska tertsia for 2003-06 concert programs, and writer Wira Wowk (Brazil) for her books Sioma pechat and Romen-zillia, also for her translations of Ukrainian literary works into Portuguese. Incidentally, Wira Wowk immediately declared that her prize (130,000 hryvnias) will be used for the setting up of a foundation for translations into foreign languages of works by contemporary Ukrainian authors.

There were 64 nominees this year. In the course of selection some of them withdrew their candidatures (e.g., actor Halyna Stefanova and stage director Vasyl Vovkun). Some of the members of the Shevchenko Prize Committee resigned. The legitimacy of the award has been increasingly called into question. Changes must be made to its very mechanism. The Day asked several committee members what measures should be taken to prevent the Shevchenko Prize from being discredited.

Says Viacheslav Briukhovetsky: “In the first place I would like to point out that I have a positive view on this year’s laureates. Of course it’s a shame that several strong nominees like Vasyl Portiak and Oleh Skrypka aren’t among them. I think that the nominating mechanism must be upgraded. There can’r be 60 nominee in the final round. In literature alone I can mention ten names worth being awarded the Shevchenko Prize. I also think that Vasyl Portiak’s story alone is better than a dozen novels by other writers. However, we acted in accordance with the Shevchenko Committee’s statute. Apparently it has to be revised.”

Mykola Zhulynsky: “The nominating procedures are somehow reminiscent of the Soviet system. Quite frankly, there is no public discussion. One nominee can bring his exhibit or play to the capital, another one can’t. We as a rule focus on cultural events in Kyiv, Lviv, but we know very little about what’s happening in Symferopol, Uzhhorod, or Dnipropetrovsk. Ukraine today boasts a great many creative names and personalities. Therefore, we need boards of experts tasked with monitoring cultural events during the year and submitting the most interesting ones to the Shevchenko Committee. After the awards ceremony the laureates’ soirees and exhibits must be organized. As it is, their names are announced and everybody forgets about them after a while. Quite often we can’t recall last year’s names. Indeed, the time has come to make changes to the Shevchenko Committee’s statute.”