The Ukrainian Arts Monitor

Volume 2, Issue 4
12 March 1996


Briefs  One Hundred Prominent Ukrainians
Ukrainian Cultural Center in Moscow
National Parliament Library
Ukrainian Jewelry
Jubilee Coin

Awards  Laureates of the Shevchenko Award

Music  Festival of Modern Music
Arkata

Stage  Premiere in Yiddish

Literature  An Exhibition of Rare Publications
Natalia Davydovsky Fund
Pamphil Yurkevych
Father Shevtsiva's Gift

Gallery  Exhibition of Works by Lypyj
Austrian Photo Exhibition

Popular  Chantal Kreviazuk

http://www.ukrainet.lviv.ua [ Home ]








BRIEFS


One Hundred Prominent Ukrainians
Lviv.  The Institute of Ukrainian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences along with Ukrainian lawyer Zynovyj Hladun, president of the Lviv Center of Human Rights have organized a bidding "The Ukrainian Hundred".  The organization is petitioning interested individuals or organizations to propose a nominative list of 100 prominent Ukrainians, who have significantly contributed to the treasure-house of world civilization.  This list will be published at the 5th anniversary of Ukrainian Independence.

--"Holos Ukrayiny".

The organizers ask that propositions be sent to the following address: The Institute of Ukrainian Studies, National Academy of Sciences, Kozelnytska St. 4, Lviv, Ukraine.


Ukrainian Cultural Center in Moscow
Moscow.  One of the most well-known modern theater directors of our time, Roman Viktiuk, a native of Lviv who now resides in the capital of the former Soviet Union, will manage the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Moscow.  During a recent visit with Lviv city mayor Vasyl Kuibida, Roman Viktiuk discussed plans to produce the dramatization of Valerie Shevchuk's work "Svichenia" [Illumination] in the Lviv Spiritual Theater "Voskresinya" [Resurrection].

--"Vysokyj Zamok".

National Parliament Library
Kyiv.  The National Parliament Library of Ukraine is celebrating its 130th anniversary in March of this year. Despite its long history, the library received its official status only in 1994.  Established in 1866, the library was the first accessible public library in Kyiv. Today the National Parliament Library remains one of the most important cultural centers not only for Kyiv, but for all of Ukraine.

--"Kultura i Zhytia".

Ukrainian Jewelry
Spain.  The direct descendants of famed jewelers of Kyiv-Rus, have never ceased to amaze people with their moldings of subtle filigree and complicated art forms.  The recent bestowal of the international award, "The Torch of Birmingham" in Spain to representatives of the company "Ukrainian Jewelers", headed by Hryhoryj Pliushch, is one example of this undeviating popularity with contemporary Ukrainian jewelry.  Their works have also received many awards at distinguished exhibitions in Japan, Malaysia, Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, and Italy.

--"Holos Ukrayiny".

Jubilee Coin
Kyiv.  The National Bank of Ukraine recently issued a new coin dedicated to the 125th birthday anniversary of Ukrainian poetess Lesia Ukrayinka.  The coin's face value is 200 thousand karbovanets.  The authors of the design are artist Oleksander Ivakhenko and sculptor Stefan Novotyn.

--"Holos Ukrayiny".



AWARDS


Laureates of the Shevchenko Award
Kyiv.  March 9th marked the 182nd birthday anniversary of Ukraine's most famous bard - Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko. Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma officially signed a decree for the presentation of nine State Awards of Ukraine named after Taras Shevchenko - 1996.  The laureates of this most prized national award in Ukraine are chosen according to their significant contribution and influence in the development of Ukrainian art and culture.  This year's laureates each received the sum of 500 million karbovanets (approx. $2,500 USD).  The winners are as follows:
  • Volodymyr Bazylevskyj, poet (for his collection of poetry "Vertep"); Victor Minailo, writer (for his novel "Vichnyj Ivan" [Eternal Ivan]).
  • Iryna Zhylenko, poetess (for her collection of poetry "Verchirka u starij vynarnij" [An Evening in the Old Winery]); Raisa Ivanchenko, writer (for the tetralogy about Kyiv-Rus "Zrada, abo yak staty volodarem" [Betrayal, or How to Become a Leader], "Hniv Peruna" [Perun's Anger], "Zoloti Stremena" [Golden Stir-ups], "Otruta dlya Knyahyni" [Poison for the Princess]).
  • Vyacheslav Chornovil, publicist (for his collections "Pravosudya chy retsedyvy teroru" [Justice or Relapses of Terror]), "Lykho z Rozumu" [Evil with Wisdom], for the book "Khronika taborovykh budniv" [A Chronicle of Prison Days], and for his publicist presentations in newspapers and journals of Ukraine and the world).
  • Vitaly Donchyk, Volodymyr Morenets, Hryhorij Shton, Andrij Kravchenko, Yurij Kovaliv.  Volodymyr Melnyk, Mykhailo Nayenko, Vira Aheyeva, candidates of literature (for the textbook "History of Ukrainian Literature in the 20th Century in Two Volumes").
  • Danylo Narbut, artist (for the series of portraits "Hetmans of Ukraine" and the painting "The Elections of Koshovyj", "The Last Judgement", "The Protection of the Mother of God"); Valentyn Znoba, sculptor (for the creation of sculptures on the theme of the Great Patriotic War).
  • Virko Baley (USA), conductor and composer (for his significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian music and its propaganda in the world).
  • Taras Petrenenko, composer, artist (for the significant achievement in the development of modern Ukrainian popular song, for concert performances within the last years); Nazarij Yaremchuk (for concert activity between 1973- 1995) posthumously awarded.
  • Oleh Bijma, director and producer, Oleksyj Zotsenko, operator- producer, Volodymyr Hronskyj, composer, Olha Sumska, Anatolyj Khostikoyev, Zinayida Dekhyzpova, Oleksyj Bohdanovych, actors (for the series of artistic television films "Pastka" [Trap] and "Zlochyn z bahatma nevidomymy" [A Criminal with Many Unknowns] Studio Ukrtelefilm).
  • Bohdan Yanivskyj, composer (for the series of large form musical works for children: "Tsarivna-zhaba" [The Magical Frog], the musicals "Lys Mykyta", "Persten Spokusy" [The Ring of Temptation] "Tom Sawyer" - for the best work of literature and art for children and youth).



MUSIC


Festival of Modern Music
Lviv.  The Lviv Composer's Union of Ukraine is organizing in the ancient city of Lviv the festival of Ukrainian and American Contemporary Music, which will take place from April 27th through May 4th of this year.  The festival's program includes works by such brilliant composers of our time, such as Elliot Carter, John Adams, Ihor Sonnevytskyj, and also Valerij Sylvestrov, Yevhen Stankovych, Oleksander Kozarenko, as well as many others.
This festival, along with the international festival of classical music "Virtuosi", which will also take place in May, is one of the most significant events in Lviv's spring musical season.  It should be noted, that all composers, whose works will be performed during this festival, received an invitation to personally visit the event.

--Antony Potoczniak, UAM.

For more information, please contact the festival's organizers: Volodymyr Syvokhip, telephone +38 (0322) 725-847. Mailing address: Lviv Composer's Union, Chaikovsky Street 7, Lviv 290000, Ukraine. You may also address your letters to the Ukrainian Arts Monitor, who are the information sponsors of this festival.


Arkata
Poland.  The 8th International Festival of Organ and Chamber Music "Rodom-Oronsko '95" recently took place in Poland.  Along with artists from Austria, Italy, Canada, Germany, France, and the United States, the Chamber Orchestra of the Vynnytsa Philharmonia "Arkata" also participated in this festival.
The Vynnytsa artists gave ten concerts in several Polish cities.  Its program included European classics by such well-known composers as Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach, as well as works by contemporary Ukrainian composers Ihor Shcherbakov and Myroslav Skoryk.

--"Kultura i Zhytia".



STAGE


Premiere in Yiddish
Lviv.  The premiere dramatization of Sholom Aleichem's work "Zacharovanyj kravets" [The Enchanted Tailor] will take place in the First Ukrainian Youth Theater (Hnatiuk, 11) on March 17th at 4 p.m.  The author and producer or this production is Moysei Batsian, director of the Jewish dramatic theater studio "Maska".  The play will be performed in Yiddish with simultaneous translation in Russian.
Lviv has one of the oldest Jewish theater traditions in Europe.  In addition to the theater "Maska", there were at least three major Jewish musical and dramatic theater companies functioning in Lviv until the Second World War. The theater company "Maska" was disbanded in 1949 and re-established in 1988.

--Antony Potoczniak, UAM.

Contact: Moysei Batsian, Telephone: +38 (0322) 743-090, Ivan Franko Street 44-3, Ukraine.



LITERATURE


An Exhibition of Rare Publications
Kyiv.  The National Parliament Library of Ukraine recently observed the 125th birthday anniversary of Les Martovych (1871-1916) with the opening of an exhibition featuring the talented writer's works.  The exhibition's materials which date from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries include rare book and periodical editions, original photographs, and post cards which are linked to the writer's life and his creative work.
The exhibition under the title "Not for Fame, but for People" was organized by the well-known scholar of Ukrainian literature and culture, and winner of the Taras Shevchenko State Award, Fedir Pohrebhyk.

--"Holos Ukrayiny".

Natalia Davydovsky Fund
Lviv.  A presentation of the charitable fund named after Natalia Davydovsky (1954-1995) took place in the Lviv Regional Organization of the Ukrainian Writers Union.  At the distinguished event, the writers Roman Lubkivskyj, R.Ivanchuk, R.Kudlyk, M.Petrenko, and Maria Ludkevych shared their memories about Natalia Davydovsky, who was posthumously awarded the Literary Prize named after Pavlo Tychyna.
The main goal of the newly created fund is to reveal and honor new young talents, popularize the works of young poets, script-reader, and artists-illustrators, and to assist them in organizing exhibitions, and other similar events.

--Yaroslav Davydovsky, UAM.

Pamphil Yurkevych
Kaniv Region.  Recently the 170th birthday anniversary celebration of Ukrainian philosopher Pamphil Yurkevych was observed in the village Lipliave.  A professor at the Moscow University, Yurkevych was a student of Solovyov and Berdyaev.
However, because of his criticism of the ideas of Russian revolutionary democrats during the October Revolution of 1917, Yurkevych's name and heritage were forgotten for decades.  Only in 1979, under the auspices of S.Yarmus, an edition of the scolar's complete philosophic writings were published in Canada.  The works of Pamphil Yurkevych have only now been re-introduced in his own native land.

--"Holos Ukrayiny".

Father Shevtsiva's Gift
Australia.  This year, during the first months of spring, Lviv will receive the personal library collection of fellow-champion of Ukrainian culture, Father Ivan Shevtsiva, of Sydney.  Donated as a gift to Lviv, the 50 thousand book library are mostly Ukrainian editions, which were published outside of Ukraine, or bibliographic rarities published in Ukraine.  The collection will belong to the Spiritual Seminary in Rudno, Theological Academy, the Scientific Library of the NTSh, and the Department of Literature of the Diaspora at the Lviv Regional Library.

--"Moloda Halychyna".



GALLERY


Exhibition of Works by Lypyj
Luhansk.  As part of the anniversary celebration of Ukraine's Independence Day (December 1, 1991), an exhibition of paintings by well-known Lviv artist, Volodya Lypyj, were shown in Luhansk's Museum of Regional Studies.  It has the symbolic title "Ukraine in the Heart".
Having toured cities all across Ukraine for the past two year, this exhibition of 125-compositions has received wide-acclaim. Its works leave an impression on museum-visitors with its high degree of professionalism and the urgency of its message.  Over half a million Ukrainian citizens have become acquainted with Lypyj's artistic series including "The Coat-of-Arms of Ukrainian Lands", "The Hetmans of Ukraine", "Famous Activists of History and Culture", "Chornobyl's Requiem", "Landscapes of Lviv and the Carpathians", and many others.
Volodymyr Lypyj is presently completing a large-scale work: "Ivan Franko.  The Return to Nahuyevychi" as part of the 140th birthday anniversary celebration of this literary giant.  This painting will be expositioned during the jubilee celebration in the poet's native village.

--"Vysokyj Zamok".

Austrian Photo Exhibition
Lviv.  This year Austria is celebrating it 1000th anniversary. The Austrian Embassy in Ukraine and the Lviv Branch of the Austrian Institute of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe have organized a year-round cultural program, which will acquaint Ukrainians with contemporary Austria.
As part of this program, an exhibition "Vienna", opened on March 1st in the Museum of Ethnography (Prospect Svobody), featuring the works of Austrian photographer, Lena Dauchardstein.  Special guests at the exhibition's opening included Ms. Elizabeth Hoffer, the director of the Lviv Branch of the Austrian Institute of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, and Ms. Badinger, author and editor of the exhibition's catalogue. The exhibition will last until the 29th of March.

--"Moloda Halychyna".



POPULAR


Chantal Kreviazuk
Canada.  The Winnipeg Free Press on February 26 of this year published an article about 22-year old singer of Ukrainian descent, Chantal Kreviazuk, who recently signed a contract with Sony Records.  This contract is one of the largest initial record contracts awarded a Canadian singer.
Sony Records will not comment on the agreement, however Kreviazuk's co-manager, Winnipeg musician Danny Schur, says it is worth well over one million dollars for two albums.  Schur added that Chantal is multi-talented musician who sings phenomenally, presents a great image, writes, and professionally conducts herself in her business like she sings.  "Record companies salivate when you have all of those things in one package.  Some can write, some can play, but she can do it all with panache".
Sony's representative, Michael Roth, considers her singing extraordinary: "I've never been hit like this by an artist so fast".

--Orysia Tracz, for UAM.




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