This year’s battle slogan of the VIII charity Ethnofest at the Frankivske estate was: “Let’s buy the boys a Franco-bus together! We are saving up for a Volkswagen T-4”.
Traditionally, from 25 to 27 August, the small homeland of Franko, Naguyevychi, becomes the centre of honouring the creativity and wisdom of the great mason’s thoughts. On the occasion of the 168th anniversary of the birth of the titan of words, the VIII Ethnofest was held in the Franko estate in Naguyevychi.
Many guests came to greet the participants of the Ethnofestival, including Ivan Franko’s great-grandson Petro Halushchak, Doctor of Law, People’s Deputy of Ukraine Mykhailo Tsymbaliuk, Director of the Department for Culture, Nationalities and Religions of the Lviv Oblast State Administration Iryna Havryliuk, Director of the Ivan Franko International Foundation Ihor Kurus, Ukrainian journalist, People’s Deputy of Ukraine of the 7th, 8th and 9th convocations Mykola Kniazhytskyi and many others. All the guests of honour were welcomed by the director of the Naguyevychi State Children’s Hospital, Bohdan Lazorak. The Drohobych territorial community was represented at the event by First Deputy Mayor Roman Beizik, Executive Committee Manager Vitaliy Vovkiv and Naguyevychi Starosta Lesya Grom.
The charity event began with a commemoration of the fallen Heroes. The festival’s guests of honour addressed the audience with opening remarks, thanking the organisers for the unchanging tradition of honouring Franko, cherishing his legacy and doing everything possible to bring the Victory closer.
Thank you for coming here every year to the small homeland of Franko and remembering our Great Ukrainian. I thank you for your memory, and the staff of the Naguyevychi State Historical and Cultural Reserve for bringing this land to life. Every year, the word of Franko sounds new here, and the festival opens with new entertainments, fairs, and attractions – all to ensure that the folk trail does not sprout moss to the Franko estate. I hope that next year our festival will be held in peaceful Ukraine, which will raise its victorious flag over all cities, and we will not wait for alarms and will not raise money for drones and Franco-mobiles, but only for the restoration of our cultural heritage and education in the areas that are now destroyed,” , said Ihor Kurus, director of the Ivan Franko International Foundation, in his speech to the audience.
The Ethnofest featured a dozen patriotic ethnolocations, Boyko reenactments, charity auctions, a demonstration of a Franko-era balloon, local delicacies, master classes, museum exhibitions, scientific presentations, a puppet theatre and a volunteer concert. Ukrainian hits and dances were performed on stage by the Gloria Youth Theatre, Drohobych Barvinsky Music College, rock bands Zapalennya and Van-Bob, and the Honoured Carpathian Song and Dance Ensemble Verkhovyna, with singer and composer Ivan Popovych as the festival’s headliner.
Since all the events and locations of the festival had a charitable purpose, the funds raised for the Franco-Mobile amounted to UAH 165 thousand. So the Franco-Bus is going to be built!
The event was hosted by Andriy Yurkevych and Andriy Zymyansky.
Photos by Serhiy Matiyko and DMC