Traditions of patronage revived

Back in times of Gaius Cilnius Maecenas who pioneered the idea of patronage, people tried to conceive the necessity of it. Patronage has a peculiar meaning for Ukraine. The lack of funding has had a negative effect on the development of national culture and education. At the moment Ukraine has people for whom it is a question of honor to preserve and develop the national culture. The Coordination Council of Patronage and Charity of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine (whose honorary head is Minister of Fuel and Energy Yurii Boiko) is implementing systemic measures in this direction. The main actors involved are the head of the Council of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Dmytro

Oliinyk and head of the international Metsenat Art Center Olena Zolotariova.

Within the framework of the joint project a contemporary art exhibit was created, featuring painting, sculptures, and art glass. For the first time the works for the exhibit were selected by highly-qualified and unbiased professionals. Leaders of the country’s contemporary art, such as Andrii Bokotei, Oleksii Vladymyrov, Borys Yehiazarian, Petro Lebedynets, Yurii Nahulko, Oleh Tistol, Oleksandr Klymenko etc. took part in the exposition at the Taras Shevchenko National Museum.

The reception ceremony that took place on the museum premises was a logical continuation of large-scale projects to support the Ukrainian contemporary art and promote it abroad, which, beyond doubt, will help to develop the national art and boost Ukraine’s culture. An auction for patrons and a lottery for the soiree’s guests also took place within the framework of the event.

To replenish the collections of Ukraine’s regional art museums five items with an overall cost of nearly one million hryvnias were purchased. It was previously agreed upon to hold similar events in the Cherkasy, Sumy, and Lviv regions, with corresponding replenishment of the collections of regional art museums. The head of the Metsenat Art Center Zolotariova noted, “The money raised will be used for charity projects implemented by the Coordination Council of Patronage and Charity of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine and the international Metsenat Art Center.” These will include supporting Ukrainian artists, the organization of artists’ exhibits in Ukraine and abroad, a charity project supporting the children’s hospital OKHMADYT, and purchasing a glass furnace for the Lviv National Academy of Arts.

One should be thankful to the patrons who bought items for Ukrainian museums: Dmytro Oliinyk for Oleksii Vladymyrov’s sculpture Priestess of Akkad (2009); Borys Raikov for Borys Yehizarian’s A King with a Blue Lion (1997), and Viacheslav Dudin’s Encounter (glass fusing); Hryhorii Dashutin for Petro Lebedynets’ Illusion (2008); Yurii Lisnychenkov for Oleh Tistol’s Yalta (2008) and Andrii Bokotei’s figurines “A Composition” executed in an author’s technique, and an anonymous patron for Viktor Sydorenko’s work in the Levitation Series (2009) and Ihor Matsievsky’s Souvenir Composition.

In the course of event, the triptych Byzantium by the outstanding Ukrainian artist Yurii Nahulko was given to the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum of Arts, which began forming an exposition of Ukrainian contemporary artists.

Art critic Dmytro Korsun said, “Right now patrons should preserve Ukrainian art, which would lose much without them. People simply abandon their favorite works, artists do not receive any responses. Unless patrons appear, Ukrainians will never learn anything about the work of contemporary artists.”

The project “Patrons for Ukrainian Museums” will grow and tour Ukrainian regions and foreign scenes. Its organizers aim to form a positive image of our state abroad, based on achievements our country can pride itself of. The level of contemporary art in Ukraine fully meets international standards.

We are sure that the project will be a success. There are people who care about Ukraine’s art and culture among our country’s businessmen, politicians, and public figures. These are the people who should be regarded as our society’s elite. One should simply combine the efforts for a common noble purpose, as it was emphasized by the organizers of the above-mentioned projects.