“Podillia – Crimea”

The festival “Podillia – Crimea” took place at the exposition center of the Vinnytsia Chamber of Trade and Commerce. It was aimed at familiarizing the Podillian community with the culture and everyday life of Crimean Tatars. Works by famous ceramics artist Rustem Skybin and a collection of drawings by students of Vinnytsia art schools “Crimea as Seen by Children” were presented at the exhibition. Photo exhibit “The Annexation of Crimea,” featuring works by a photographer, who chose to remain unknown for personal safety reasons, became the culmination point of the exhibition.

“At the festival we presented almost all applied arts works we had in store,” says ceramicist Rustem Skybin, head of the Crimean Tatars culture center Tamga. “These are carpets, embroidery, and ceramics. Besides, folk costumes expert Ulviye Ablaeva, who now lives in Lviv, also contributed her works. Crimean refugees based in western Ukraine organized a master class in Crimean Tatar cuisine and a traditional coffee ceremony. Crimean Tatars, who moved to Vinnytsia after the annexation (there are approximately 400 of them) and settled compactly in two villages, treated festival guests with Crimean Tatar sweets.”

The Crimean Tatar culture festival was opened by the Honored Artist of Crimea, young singer Lenara Osmanova. Mustafa Dzhemilev’s representative Arsen Zhumadilov was also present. Each guest who visited the event was treated with coffee, baklava, and mouth-watering chebureks. Besides, guests were told about the traditions and everyday life of Crimean Tatars, about the legendary Bakhchysarai and other noteworthy Crimean sights.

“We wanted the festival to be interesting for Vinnytsia residents of various ages,” says the organizer of the festival, chairman of the oblast NGO Knowledge Liudmyla Kulyk. “Artists of the Kyiv-based theater ‘Transformation’ prepared a Crimean Tatar play Attention! Imagination! Fairytale! for children. Besides, all eager visitors interested in Crimean Tatar culture had an opportunity to purchase items of applied arts, unique jewelry, sweets, and traditional Crimean Tatar pastries.” The festival became a final event of a three month long project, during which seminars and roundtables were held in Vinnytsia oblast. Lectures about the status of Crimea’s indigenous people were attended by students from Vinnytsia and the Donetsk National University in particular, which enjoys special attention in Vinnytsia.