On August 23 at 2:00 p.m., a presentation of the large-scale project “The Art of Independence” takes place at the National Museum of the History of Ukraine.
The project, dedicated to the Independence Day, is due to last till October 31.
“The Art of Independence” begins with the exhibitions of ATO participants: photographs “Life at Zero” of Yurii Velychko, code name “Photographer”; poems and photos by Maksym Kryvtsov, code name “Dali”, and an exhibition of paintings by Pavlo Kyluk, code name “Barklay”.
Also, a classical music concert “Music of a Warrior” will take place at the opening ceremony. The concert will be performed by Ihor Mykhailyshyn, code name “Pianist”, the Maidan’s pianist who played Chopin, Bakh and Beethoven in the freezing cold, a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who was held captive for 120 days and also had his life changed there by music.
The project is positioned as an art platform for Ukrainian warriors, which will help them be “heard” by the people who still know little about life “at zero”.
“In war-born compositions, pain and hope which our warriors’ souls are filled with are clear cut,” says Inna Yermolaieva, head of the project “Life at Zero”.
“At the epicentre of war, they did not become cold-hearted, nor did they break down or shrink into themselves – they are ready to enrich us with that hard and at the same time life-affirming experience. Their gift to us is not only the peaceful sky but also the opportunity to feel the emotions of a person “at zero” through art.
“It is very important that creative people should not only have preserved inner light and harmony within themselves amid war but also had power and need to create something beautiful.
“The art of the participants of the project is a counterbalance to those who insist that war breaks everyone. It changes but does not break everyone!”
At the opening, a Cuman “baba” which was saved from shelling by a miracle and taken from the uncontrollable territory of Ukraine will be solemnly transferred to the Museum.
The presentation of the project “The Art of Independence” will be attended by Marius Yanukonis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to Ukraine; Artem Bidenko, State Secretary of the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine; Dmytro Tkachenko, Executive Director of NGO “Analytical Centre Donbas Think Tank” and Adviser to the Ministry of Information Policy of Ukraine; and heroes of the events to be held as part of the project – ATO participants, warriors, authors of films on events in Donbas, and so on.