On 7 November in Lviv, the third international “Land of Poets” festival opened. The two-day event brings together Ukrainian and foreign poets, writers, musicians, theatre practitioners and representatives of creative communities. The festival is held in line with an original concept by the poet Mariana Savka.
At the formal opening, Mariana Savka emphasised the literary traditions of the region and the symbolism of the date, as the first day of the festival coincided with the 90th anniversary of the birth of Ukrainian poet Mykola Vinhranovskyi.
The opening was attended by Head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration Maksym Kozytskyi and secretary of the commission on culture, information policy and promotion of the Lviv Regional Council, Tetiana Pysmenna. They highlighted the importance of cultural initiatives that support the Ukrainian word and the arts in wartime.
As part of the opening event, four winners of the children’s melodrama recitation competition “Ryba” (“Fish”) were recognised. The young participants performed their own poetic works. Musical accompaniment for the opening was provided by Hanusia Onushchak, who performed a folk song.
“I would like to thank the organisers for creating a platform where people can share their thoughts, feelings, experiences and talents. I thank all the artists who carry the Ukrainian word beyond our country’s borders so that the world knows that Ukraine is a free, independent and strong state. Thank you to everyone present for your participation and support. I wish the festival every success and many years to come,” said Tetiana Pysmenna.
The main theme of this year’s festival is “Ukrainian titans: new myth-making”. Over the course of two days, four stages will be in operation, hosting poetry readings, musical and theatre performances, creative meetings and other artistic events. The organisers are placing particular emphasis on bringing together different generations and genres, Ukrainian cultural heritage with modern technologies, tradition with innovation.
Among the announced participants are well-known Ukrainian poets, writers and artists: Yurii Izdryk, Yurii Andrukhovych, Oleksandr Irvanets, Kateryna Kalytko, Artur Dron, Yevhen Nyshchuk, Rymma Ziubina, Rostyslav Semkiv, Olha Olkhova, Pavlo Vyshebaba, Halyna Kruk, Yuliia Musakovska, Marianna Kiyanovska, Mariana Savka and others.
Foreign poets have also come to Lviv: Carolyn Forché (USA), Lina Ekdahl (Sweden), Krzysztof Czyżewski (Poland), as well as authors from Estonia, Croatia and Lithuania.
The musical programme will feature Oleksandr Polozhynskyi, the vocal ensemble “Pikkardiyska Tertsiya”, Solomiia Chubai, the cultural and artistic project “Zbyti rymy” and the male choral chapel “Dudaryk”.
The international “Land of Poets” festival aims to popularise Ukrainian poetry and literature, support contemporary authors and present Ukrainian culture on the global stage. In the context of full-scale war, the organisers stress that the Ukrainian literary word is becoming an important tool for preserving national memory, affirming identity and waging the struggle for freedom.