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
“We support Ukraine’s struggle for freedom in the long term and at all levels”, – Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Sweden
The Ukrainian Institute in Sweden has received its own premises in the center of Stockholm and for the first time in 10 years since its establishment has its own home.
On December 20, Minister of International Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Sweden Johan Forssell inaugurated the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden on the island of Strömsborg. From now on, the cultural and diplomatic organization, founded in 2014 by Ukrainian-Swedish concert pianist Natalia Pasichnyk, will work in the historic center of the Swedish capital, near the Nobel Museum, the Royal Palace and the Riksdag.
“Sweden’s support for Ukraine is extensive and long-term. The work of the Ukrainian Institute in Stockholm is an important part of the protection of Ukrainian cultural heritage and helps to spread knowledge and understanding of Ukraine in Sweden. From the Swedish side, we are clear that we support Ukraine’s struggle for freedom, long-term and at all levels,” said Johan Forssell.
For nine years, the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden has been filling a large gap in the knowledge and understanding of Ukraine through culture in Scandinavia.
“Few people could name even one Ukrainian writer or composer before the Great Invasion. And only now the West has finally realized why. There should not have been a Ukrainian cultural heritage, because according to the current Russian leader, as well as his predecessors, “there is no such nation.” The Russian narrative is that Ukrainians are Russians, who have refused to recognize this time and again throughout history. And the aggressor claims that this war is needed to explain this to Ukrainians once and for all,” emphasized Pasichnyk.
The reopening of the Institute – now in its own premises – marks a milestone and an important step forward for its continued work to raise awareness of Ukraine’s significant cultural heritage and rich cultural life.
“We are entering a new chapter as we have fantastic premises to share with our incredibly welcoming partners at International IDEA,” added the founder of the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the delegation of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine, which is currently participating in International IDEA events in Stockholm.
For reference:
The Ukrainian Institute in Sweden is a platform for Swedes and Ukrainians to meet, raising awareness of Ukraine’s significant heritage and rich cultural life. The organization works to strengthen Swedish-Ukrainian cultural ties. We believe that knowledge about each other and cultural cooperation are central elements of our society’s resistance to future threats. Our role is unique – we were the first Ukraine-centered organization to become an associate member of the Stockholm Cluster of the European Union National Institute for Culture (EUNIC) in 2014, and within this network we have become an integral part of the European cultural scene.
Over the years, we have organized the Young Talents – Ukraine concert series for young talents from Ukraine, the Rethinking Europe music festival, poetry evenings, events with Swedish and international authors, the Nordic Ukrainian Film Festival, and other events. Together with our partners from the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), we regularly participate in film festivals (e.g. REX Animation Festival, European Film Festival, Sounds of Silence) and other events such as concerts, panel debates, European Day of Languages, etc.
International IDEA – International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance – is an intergovernmental organization that supports democracy around the world. The vision and mission of the organization is to advance democracy worldwide as a universal human aspiration and a factor in sustainable development by supporting the development, strengthening and protection of democratic political institutions and processes at all levels. International IDEA is headquartered in Stockholm, on the island of Strömsborg, where the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden has now found its home.
The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air will launch flights on the Kyiv-Stockholm Skavsta (Sweden) route from December 16, 2021.
The press service of the airline said on Friday that the flights will be operated twice a week: on Thursdays and Sundays.
According to Wizz Air Internal Communications Manager Paulina Gosk, the launch of this flight will strengthen cultural and economic ties between Ukraine and Sweden.
There are currently no direct flights between cities.
