At the end of June 2024, the first season of the Kyiv Art Sessions festival of Ukrainian art was a great success in London, launching the first Ukrainian art seasons at iconic venues in London. 
We continue the celebration of Ukrainian culture in the UK, hosting the autumn season of Kyiv Art Sessions at Knotel at the Old Sessions House on 19-20 October 2024.
The festival seasons aim to showcase the best of Ukrainian art around the world, in order to tell the truth about the war in Ukraine and to draw the world's attention to a country threatened by the destruction of its culture and national identity.
The programme of the autumn season of Kyiv Art Sessions: ● Music Sessions:- a concert of Ukrainian classical music “Thinking of Home” performed by the ArteHatta Chamber Ensemble and the prominent violinist Myroslava Kotorovych "Duma pro Dim" for two violins is a miniature emotion. It was created in the spring of 2022 and is imbued with a very familiar sound of war to all of us and a sense of uncertainty. The work aims to express with music what words lack. It's like a silent cry within every Ukrainian and at the same time - a short but impactful elevator pitch for the world to draw attention to the fact that Russia's brutal war in Ukraine continues and needs to be stopped as soon as possible.In addition to Ksenia Stetsenko's music, the concert programme features pieces by prominent contemporary composers Myroslav Skoryk, Yevhen Stankovych, Hanna Havrylets, Zoltan Almashi, Vitaliy Vyshynskyi, Kyrylo H. Stetsenko and Kyrylo V. Stetsenko.“Each of us has this cell of Ukraine. It's not about a ‘nation’s genetic code’ or even love for Ukraine. It is about the presence of Ukraine in the Universe through each of us,” says Myroslava Kotorovych, Ukrainian violinist, Honoured Artist of Ukraine, founder of the ArteHatta Chamber Ensemble;
- a jazz concert “I Believe” performed by Nazgul Shukaeva QuartetNazgul Shukaeva* has a rare range of voice: from throat singing in the Kai technique to soprano, which allows her to perform both authentic folk and jazz and contemporary classical music. As part of the festival, Nazgul will perform alongside renowned British musicians David Gordon, keyboard, Anton Syzko, double bass (bass), and Kobo, drums. The programme will feature both original music and Ukrainian songs in jazz arrangements.
● Art Sessions:- “Kyiv in the Colours of War”, a solo show of the artist Ganna Kryvolap. Kyiv is a city that has always impressed with its colourfulness and versatility. Before the war, these colours were bright: blue skies, golden domes, green parks and colourful facades of historic buildings. Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, however, the city's image and colours have changed. Kyiv has become a place where the colour palette reflects not only beauty but also resilience and fortitude;
- “Culture vs War”, a photo exhibition by Serhii Mykhalchuk. Serhii Mykhalchuk is a renowned Ukrainian and international director of photography, cinematographer and photographer. His filmography encompasses about 40 films, 4 of which were nominated for an Academy Award. He has won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and dozens of international awards for best cinematography. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Serhii Mykhalchuk has voluntarily joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces. His photo exhibition is a creative reflection of the tragic fragments of the war and the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian people for independence and identity.
Serhii Mykhalchuk’s artistic photographs, signed by the author, are now available for purchase.All proceeds from the sale will be directed toward the production of the full-length documentary film "In the Shadow of the War," the creation of which began in August 2024. The film highlights the profound role of Ukrainian culture during the time of the great war, told from the perspective of a European who finds himself in Ukraine during the conflict. Immersed in the cultural life and daily military realities of Ukrainian cities, the narrative offers a powerful insight.The price of each photograph starts at £200.
● Cinema Sessions:- screening of the feature film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, directed by Sergei Parajanov*, a treasure of Ukrainian cinematography. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Parajanov. The classical concert programme of the ArteHatta Chamber Ensemble and Myroslava Kotorovych is closely intertwined with the film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, which will become an integral part of the Kyiv Art Sessions, autumn season. Moreover, this year marks 60 years since the movie was filmed: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (internationally titled Wild Horses of Fire), an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi, was filmed in 1964 at the Dovzhenko Film Studio. The recently restored film was screened at the Venice Film Festival;
- screening of a full-length documentary film “Culture vs War”, an artistic study about Ukrainian artists, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, who became warriors to defend the country. The film is a documentation of the characters' stories, testimonies, and worldview reflections in the first person. In addition to the heroes of the short films, Akhtem Seitablayev, Antytila group, Serhiy Mykhalchuk, Serhiy Zhadan, Taras Kompanichenko, Kostyantyn and Vlada Liberov, the feature film includes: Mykhailo Illienko, Dmytro Linartovych, Yevhen Nyshchuk, Yaroslav Pilunskyi and others.
Panel discussions will be an important and integral part of the festival programme.One of the guest participants of the panel discussions will be Akhtem Seitablayev*, a character featured in the Culture vs War documentary, a famous Ukrainian actor and director, a soldier of the Territorial Defense Forces.
*It is significant that Sergei Parajanov, Nazgul Shukaeva, and Akhtem Seitablayev are Ukrainians, although they have different roots: Sergei Parajanov, born in Georgia, is Armenian, Akhtem Seitablayev is Crimean Tatar, and Nazgul Shukaeva is Kazakh.These famous figures embody Ukraine's high culture while respecting their rich historical ancestry.
Kyiv Art Sessions [Autumn] in the Old Sessions House19-20 October 2024
Address: 23 Clerkenwell GrnLondon EC1R 0NA United Kingdom
The Kyiv Art Sessions festival in the Old Sessions House in London is a charitable event. All funds raised will be directed to support Ukrainian artists and the Ukrainian creative community.
Organizers: Dom Master Klass Cultural Center, Art Shield FoundationPartners: Ukrainian Institute, Knotel, Dyvys' Ukrainske, Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Studio, United initiative of the Crimean Front