On April 24, the second edition of the European Festival: Ukrainian Spring”.
The first concert event of the festival was preceded by a reception hosted by the German Embassy in Sweden. The opening was attended by representatives of the Swedish government and parliament, ambassadors of foreign countries, as well as cultural and public figures.
“It is a real honor to organize this reception today, and support for Ukraine is very close to our hearts. Every day we think about the terrible ordeal, when the nights are filled with air raids and attacks and many troubles and difficulties. At the Ukrainian Festival, we are talking about how best to support Ukraine in its struggle to define its own history and defend its sovereign state in peace and freedom,” said Joachim Berthele, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Sweden, at the opening ceremony.
The festival is organized under the coordination of the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden by a number of diplomatic and cultural institutions from different countries working in Stockholm, as well as with the support of the European Commission and the European Union Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC).
The concept of the festival is to present Ukraine as an integral part of the common European cultural heritage.
“All our efforts should be aimed at supporting Ukraine. Every cultural event should draw attention to the terrible crime that Russia continues to commit on Ukrainian soil. Music cannot stop the aggressor, but it can be a weapon, and we need to be reminded every day to get it: Ukraine not only exists and has a voice, Ukraine is an integral natural part of Europe,” said Natalia Pasichnyk, director of the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden, pianist.
At the opening concert, she and the Calmus vocal ensemble from Leipzig presented a new vision of Johann Sebastian Bach’s world-famous work “The Well-Tempered Clavier” with religious texts and vocal arrangements.
“Natalia Pasichnyk is a co-author of Bach’s new musical work with the Calmus Ensemble from Leipzig. This is a world premiere on stage, and it is also the first performance for Calmus in Stockholm. So we are looking forward to a very special evening,” said Joakim Berthele before the concert.
Calmus vocalists emphasized that they believe that supporting attention to Ukraine through cultural events is important and effective.
“It definitely works when we keep reminding people about Ukraine at our concerts. From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, we always sang Mykola Lysenko’s Prayer for Ukraine at our concerts – “God, Great, One”. We sang it to tell people: “There is a war in Europe!” We did this in the United States and everywhere we performed. I’m convinced that it definitely helps when we combine art and people’s awareness of what’s going on,” said Friedrich Brax, one of the members of Calmus Ensemble.
The organizers dedicated the first concert day to the memory of opera singer Vasyl Slipak. He was a soloist at the National Opera in Paris, went to defend Ukraine, and was killed by a Russian sniper near Bakhmut on June 29, 2016. Each day of the festival is dedicated to an artist-warrior who died at the front.
The festival will run until May 7, with the grand finale featuring a performance by world-renowned Latvian violinist and conductor Gidons Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica orchestra.
Photos and videos from the gala reception and concert: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NUlzjHORdW8qRGtyTC4bhyPl2wY8GfQo?usp=drive_link
The full program is available on the festival’s website: https://www.europeanspring.eu/program
From April 24 to May 7, 2024, Sweden will host the European Festival: Ukrainian Spring, which this year will bring together 12 cultural events. Stockholm will host a variety of events that reflect Ukraine’s interaction with the European cultural context in different ways.
The concept of the festival is to present Ukraine as an integral part of the common European cultural heritage. This connection is emphasized by the festival’s slogan: “Reflections in each other’s eyes – Ukraine in Europe and Europe in Ukraine.”
The organizers are convinced that today the ultimate goal of all cultural events dedicated to Ukraine abroad should be to focus public attention on Ukraine’s struggle and victory in the war unleashed by Russia. And the primary task is to once again remind people of the need for increased assistance to protect us from the aggressor.
Therefore, this year, each of the 12 days of the festival will be dedicated to one of the Ukrainian artists who went to defend their country and died at the front.
This weekend, the first festival dedicated to the Ukrainian Winemaker’s Day was held at the River Mall in Kyiv. This event became a vivid symbol of the revival and popularization of Ukrainian winemaking. Visitors had the opportunity to enjoy wine products from all over the country, as well as learn about traditional and modern winemaking methods.
Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club, a Kyiv-based think tank, noted that the production and sale of wine products in Ukraine today is complicated primarily by significant competition from foreign wines.
“Experts Club’s information and analytical project systematically supports all producers in the country, and winemakers are no exception. According to Experts Club, imported wine already accounts for more than 70% of total sales on the Ukrainian market, while the share of Ukrainian wine is below 30%. Holding thematic festivals dedicated to winemaking could open up unique varieties of Ukrainian wine to consumers, which are in no way inferior to French or Italian wines. That is why we all need to show consumer patriotism and buy Ukrainian wine,” added Maksim Urakin.
According to Volodymyr Pechko, CEO of UKRSADVINPROM, recent years have been difficult for Ukrainian winemaking, primarily due to the war. However, thanks to the efforts of craft producers, the industry continues to develop.
“I am confident that our festival will become an annual event, as we must support Ukrainian producers and promote Ukrainian quality both in Ukraine and internationally. I sincerely congratulate all winemakers on their professional holiday and thank them for the incredible work they continue to do. I also express my gratitude to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine for its assistance in organizing this year’s event,” he said.
Natalia Blagopoluchna, Head of the Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, emphasized the uniqueness of Ukrainian craft wines.
“The diversity of our wines is the result of unique local climatic conditions and the peculiarities of the grape varieties we use. They are striking in their originality and are admirable,” said Natalia Blagopoluchna.
The festival took place on November 11-12 on the Dnipro embankment at the RIVER MALL shopping center. The organizers of the festival, the Public Union “Association of Gardeners, Winegrowers and Winemakers of Ukraine” (UKRSADVINPROM), the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, and the analytical center “Club of Experts”, presented the best winemakers of Ukraine with certificates from the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food.
One of the highlights of the festival was a charity auction that not only raised funds to support an important cause but also demonstrated the social responsibility of the organizers and participants. The auction was hosted by TV presenter and Help for Ukraine ambassador Yevhen Koshovoy. The unique Ukrainian-made wine lots on display were the subject of competition among collectors and wine lovers. All the proceeds from the auction were donated to the Reconstruction and Development Fund of Ukraine. These funds will be used to finance the purchase of a mobile hospital to rescue the wounded. In total, the auction raised about UAH 100,000.
“I am pleased that today I had the opportunity to present these unique wines to true connoisseurs of winemaking. Also, each of those who received a collector’s bottle today can be sure that the money spent will go to a really necessary and good cause – rescuing the wounded and war-affected,” said Koshovoy.
The festival ended with an award ceremony where the winners of the Best Winery of the Festival competition were announced. It was a moment of pride for the winemakers, who were recognized for their efforts and skills. Voting for the best wine took place both with the help of a QR code and by filling out ballots. Each guest had the opportunity to express their opinion.
Three wineries became the winners based on the choice of festival visitors: Zelenytsy winery, Gigineishvili Wine House and the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. All of them received the same number of votes.
– Overall, the festival will feature the following Ukrainian wine brands:
– Zelenytsy winery;
– Gigineishvili Wine House;
– Dnipro hills (Stoic Ukrainian winery);
– WINEIDEA;
– Tiras Vaineri LLC (My Wine, Eduard Gorodetsky);
– 46 Parallel;
– Uman Winery of Igor Maksymenko;
– Father’s wine VB;
– Villa Tinta;
– Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine;
– Kulinichenko winery;
– Wines of the Silver Land;
– National Research Center “Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking named after
Gastronomic wine pairings were provided by such producers as Tsar Khlib, TM Zinka, TM Karapyshivski sausages, and others.
Festival partner Voda.ua
Thus, the Winemaker’s Day festival in Kyiv has not only become a significant event in the cultural calendar of the capital, but also made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian winemaking. It brought together winemakers, sommeliers, and wine lovers, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experience, and drew attention to the Ukrainian wine industry. The organizers of the festival announced plans to hold similar events in the future, giving a new impetus to the development of this sector in our country.
day of winemaker, EXPERTS CLUB, FESTIVAL, RIVER MALL, UKRSADVINPROM, URAKIN, WINE, wine festival, WINEMAKING, БЛАГОПОЛУЧНА, ПЕЧКО
A charity auction will be held as part of the first all-Ukrainian festival “Winemaker’s Day”. Among the lots you will find exquisite varieties that impress with their quality and unique taste. The highlight of the auction will be the best collection wines of Crimea.
All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the mobile hospital and other charitable projects. Thus, you will have the opportunity not only to enjoy high quality wines, but also to contribute to a noble cause.
The event will be hosted by actor and TV presenter Yevgeny Koshevoy, who guarantees a unique holiday atmosphere.
The festival will take place on November 11-12 at the address: Kyiv, Dniprovska embankment, 12, RIVER MALL, food court area on the 3rd floor. The beginning is at 14:00. The ticket you purchased is valid for two days – both on Saturday and Sunday!
We support the Ukrainian manufacturer!
Event organizers: Public Union “UKRSADVINPROM”, Club of Experts, All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers.
The event is supported by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and the Charitable Foundation “HELP FOR UKRAINE”.
Cheese partner – TM Zinka, bread partner – TM Tsar Khlib.
You can buy tickets on the website
At the Winemaker’s Day festival, you have a great opportunity to taste and buy unique Ukrainian wines and discover exquisite flavors of wine from different parts of Ukraine.
The following Ukrainian wineries will take part in the festival:
– Zelenytsy winery “Zelenytsy Family Winery”;
– Gigineishvili Wine House;
– Slyvyno Winery, a private enterprise;
– Dnipro hills (Stoic Ukrainian winery);
– WINEIDEA;
– Tiras Vaineri LLC;
– 46 Parallel;
– Uman Winery of Igor Maksymenko;
– Father’s wine VB;
– Villa Tinta;
– Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine;
– Kulinichenko winery;
– Wines of the Silver Land;
– National Research Center “Tairov Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking” of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine.
The festival will be held on November 11-12 at the address: Kyiv, Dniprovska embankment, 12, RIVER MALL, food court area on the 3rd floor. The beginning is at 14:00. Your purchased ticket is valid for two days – both on Saturday and Sunday!
Open4business is a media partner
CLUB OF EXPERTS, FESTIVAL, Koshevoy, mobile hospital, RIVER MALL, TASTING, URAKIN, winemaker's day
On August 19-20, the capital’s SPORT LIFE fitness center became the main competition arena for squash fans from all over Ukraine and the world. The Zenit Ukraine Open 2023 charity tournament brought together more than 100 players who came from Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Poltava, Kherson and Odesa, as well as from France, the USA, Turkey and Moldova.
The participants competed in various categories ranging from Lady B to Men A. The winners in their categories were:
Lady B category:
Anetta Siganevich
Veronika Levkivska
Yulia Yakimova
Lady A category:
Daria Vlasenko
Tatiana Stanko
Veronika Usenko
Category Men D:
Roman Popov
Anton Babushko
Stepan Kobzev
Category Men C:
Anton Skaballanovich
Kirill Leonov
Araik Sargsyan
Category Men B:
Maxim Shumelda
Rostyslav Zavinskyi
Dmytro Baluta
Category Men A:
Nikita Panov
Ruslan Petrovych
Maxim Tokar
After the sports part, the winners were awarded at the Brugge restaurant, where a charity auction and a patriotic buffet were also held. The joint efforts of the participants and the host Andriy Dzhedzhula raised over UAH 100,000. These funds will be used to support squash players and the army.
The event could not have become so bright and successful without the support of partners and sponsors:
The main fitness partner “SPORT LIFE“;
The event was organized by the Ukrainian Squash Federation;
Information partner – Interfax Ukraine news agency, Open4Business;
Official sponsor – Experts Club;
Medical partner – Adonis chain of clinics;
Partner of the award ceremony – “VILLA TINTA”;
Prizes and gifts were presented by Sport Life, Reima and Tecnifibre;
The official water of the tournament is KRAINA;
Beer for participants and guests was provided by TERMO-PAB;
All tournament guests were accommodated at FAVOR HOTEL;
The award ceremony and party were held in partnership with the BRUGGE restaurant.
The tournament confirmed that charity and sport can go hand in hand, bringing joy and helping people.
Source https://interfax.com.ua/news/press-release/930405.html
BLAGOPOLETNY, FESTIVAL, PECHENOK, SHCHERBAKOV, UMAN, URAKIN, WINE, ФСУ
The festival was held at the Forest Club Sherwood hotel and restaurant complex. The event was attended by well-known Ukrainian wineries: TM My Wine, SHABO, BOLGRAD, Cotnar, Villa Tinta, and Vladyslav Zakrevsky’s winery. Also represented were Honey Badger liqueurs and tinctures, White Church Distillery, Osnova cheese factory, Zinka TM, Kozatski Kozyrni Syry, producers of meat chips and snacks Snacks by Bandera, and others.
Interesting lectures for visitors were held at the festivals. Visitors were introduced to the world of winemaking: Liudmyla Boiko, chief technologist of the Honey Badger family enterprise; Stepan and Olha Kutsipak, owners of the Snacks by Bandera brand; Natalia Blahopoluchna, president of the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers, head of the first Ukrainian sommelier school “Master Class”; Bogdan Panchuk, brand ambassador of Leleka Wines; Eduard Gorodetsky, founder of Tiras Winery; Natalia Burlachenko, sommelier and brand ambassador of Vinos de la Luz; Vita Oliynyk, representative of Zinka TM. The event was also attended by Ricardo Fernandez Nunez, the owner of Vinos de la Luz group of companies.
In addition to wine lectures, visitors were able to attend a master class “How to open champagne with a glass or modern sabrage” by Mykola Blagopoluchny, head of the Master Class sommelier school and director of the All-Ukrainian Association of Winemakers and Sommeliers.
The highlight of the first day of the festival was a soulful concert by Ukrainian singer PIANOBOY.
On July 30, the festival hosted a roundtable discussion on the development of winemaking and viticulture in Ukraine during the war. The participants were Ihor Vishtak, Director of the Crop Production Department of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine; Volodymyr Pechko, Head of the UKRSADVINPROM NGO; Iryna Kovaleva, Director of the V.E. Tairov Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; Maksym Urakin, founder of the Experts Club. Maxim Urakin, founder of the analytical center “Club of Experts”, publisher, marketing director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency; Yegor Belov, chef-sommelier of the InterContinental Kyiv hotel, winner of the All-Ukrainian Sommelier Competition 2018; Dmytro Saprykin, brand ambassador of Alcoline and Oleg Antipin, brand ambassador of SHABO; Konstantin Tintulov, commercial director and co-owner of Vinhol Oksamytne LLC.
The roundtable was also attended by Dmytro Natalukha, a Ukrainian politician and public figure, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine of the IX convocation, lawyer, human rights activist, Chairman of the Committee on Economic Development in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the IX convocation. Member of the parliamentary faction of the Servant of the People political party. Deputy Member of the Permanent Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Co-chair of the group on interparliamentary relations with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The roundtable ended with a pre-premiere screening of the movie Wounded Land. This is a documentary about the stories of Ukrainian winemakers who have suffered from Russian aggression. The film was directed and co-produced by Roman Zayats, the founder of the Heartland project.
The festival has a charitable component. Charity auctions and fundraisers were held for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The event raised UAH 142,050! The main lot of the festival – a unique wine from Vinos de La Luz with a label of Ivan Marchuk’s painting – was sold for UAH 120 thousand. The funds raised were distributed as follows:
UAH 120,000 was donated for the treatment of cancer to Serhiy Kovalenko, a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a well-known winemaker.
UAH 22050 was donated to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Consumer tasting was held during the two days of the event. Visitors of the event chose the best wine. Wines from TM My Wine won the Consumer Choice competition.
The event was organized by Focus event.
