Copyright © 2024 Euromaidanpress.com

The work of Euromaidan Press is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation

When referencing our materials, please include an active hyperlink to the Euromaidan Press material and a maximum 500-character extract of the story. To reprint anything longer, written permission must be acquired from [email protected].

Privacy and Cookie Policies.

Ukrainian Spring 2024 festival in Sweden promotes Ukraine-Europe cultural unity, honors fallen artists killed in Russia’s war

The festival “Ukrainian Spring 2024” kicked off in Stockholm, bringing together a series of 12 cultural events to pay tribute to Ukrainian artists who lost their lives on the front lines battling Russian invaders.
Sweden
The national flag of Sweden. Source: UkrInform
Ukrainian Spring 2024 festival in Sweden promotes Ukraine-Europe cultural unity, honors fallen artists killed in Russia’s war

On 24 April, the European festival “Ukrainian Spring 2024” opened in Stockholm, in Sweden, to bring together 12 cultural events and honor Ukrainian artists who were killed on the front lines fighting against Russian invaders.

“The festival’s concept is to present Ukraine as an integral part of the common European cultural heritage. This connection is emphasized by the ‘Reflection in each other’s eyes – Ukraine in Europe and Europe in Ukraine’ festival’s slogan,” the organizers noted.

The ultimate goal of all cultural events dedicated to Ukraine abroad, the festival’s team says, should be to focus society’s attention on Ukraine’s struggle and victory in the war unleashed by Russia, as well as to remind of the necessity to strengthen assistance for defense against the aggressor. Hence, this year, each of the 12 days of the festival will be dedicated to one of the Ukrainian artists who defended their homeland and died on the battlefield.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t have just one artist who took up arms to defend Ukraine and perished for each day. We had to make choices.

It’s a painful reminder to the world that Russia takes away the best from Ukraine. It’s a painful reminder to the world that Russia takes away some of Ukraine’s brightest talents.

Some had already built remarkable careers before the war, while others were just starting out, their paths cut short by Russian aggression,” noted Natalia Pasichnyk, a performing pianist and founder of the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden.

The festival opened at the Royal Concert Hall, Sweden’s main concert stage, with events honoring opera singer Vasyl Slipak, who had been killed in the war with Russia in 2016, as per UkrInform.

On 2 May, the festival will host a screening of the Swiss-Ukrainian film “Olha” and will commemorate actor Pavlo Li, who died in fighting for Irpin, the city in Kyiv Oblast, in 2022. The festival will also honor Hlib Babych, artist Serhii Pushchenko, and violinist Roman Barvinok. All of them were killed in a struggle against Russia’s occupiers.

The final concert will be the world premiere of a work of music inspired by Taras Shevchenko’s poem “Zore moya vechirniaia” (My Evening Star), composed by Bohdana Froliak, one of Ukraine’s foremost composers. This day will be dedicated to the memory of Kostiantyn Starovytskyi, a conductor in the State Academic Estrada-Symphonic Orchestra and the Kyiv Opera, who fought in the early days of Russia’s full-scale war and died on the Kramatorsk front.

The festival will unfold across ten different venues, including concert stages, museums, cultural embassy residences of European countries in Stockholm, cinemas, and churches.

The event is organized by the Association of Cultural Institutes of European Union Member States, the European Commission, the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden, and Konserthuset Stockholm.

Earlier, the General San Martín cinema in Buenos Aires hosted a special screening of two documentaries about the Russian war against Ukraine. One of them was “Chornobyl 22” by Ukrainian director Oleksii Radynsky, which tells the story of the occupation of the exclusion zone in Kyiv Oblast.

Ukrainian documentaries in Argentina unveil Russian war crimes

It was created with the help of The Reckoning Project: Ukraine Testifies, a non-profit organization that documents and investigates Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Related:

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.  We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support. Become a Patron!

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

Please leave your suggestions or corrections here



    Euromaidan Press

    We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!

    Related Posts
    russian troops ukraine
    Read More

    Venice Festival screens controversial Russian war documentary that ignores occupiers’ crimes against Ukrainians

    At the Venice International Film Festival on September 5, Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova unveiled her documentary, Russians at War, which portrays Russian soldiers in Ukraine as victims while glossing over their crimes against civilians. The film has sparked backlash for its one-sided narrative, with critics calling it Russian propaganda.