18 – 29 December
Christmas Arsenal
Mystetskyi Arsenal (Art Arsenal)
(10-12, vul. Lavrska, Kyiv)
A holiday fair will be held at Mystetskyi Arsenal in the run-up to the New Year and Christmas. A lot of pleasant surprises await both adults and children, including the works of well-known handcrafters, master classes in the making of Christmas cards and New Year’s accessories, as well as the presentation of the best art publications and children’s books. A music accompaniment will be provided by the Kyiv-based “Shchedryk” children’s choir. An innovative educational project has also been organised for young visitors, entitled the “Arsenal of Ideas”, at which scientific and art projects will be presented.
Until 28 December, 7 p.m.
Jazz & Lounge Festival
Miami Blues Restaurant
(114, vul Velyka Vasylkivska, Kyiv)
The art project, covering five weekends, will join together different aspects of modern art within the framework of a single programme – blues, electronic music, various exhibitions, performances and theatrical productions. Performers and artists from all over Ukraine have been invited to participate in this event, to fill each evening with pleasant surprises. For example, Ostap Stupka, Yuriy Yermolenko and DJ Mishukoff will present the public with the international FACEVINYL project. Bandura-player Roman Hrynkiv will be a special guest in this project.
2 – 19 January
Christmas Concerts
Kharkiv Oblast Philharmonic
(21, vul. Rymarska, Kharkiv)
The Kharkiv Oblast Philharmonic promises the residents and guests of Kharkiv an unforgettable Christmas holiday. It is here that a range of concerts, featuring symphonies and chamber music, will take place. Participants will include not only the philharmonic’s soloists and creative ensembles, but also musicians from Poland, Russia, Greece and other cities of Ukraine. The Christmas evening within the walls of the philharmonic will echo with the glorious sounds of the organ, since this is where the Stanislav Kalinin’s Christmas Organ Concert will be taking place. The programme will continue with a concert by the famous saxophonist from Odesa, Hanna Stepanova and many other musical items.
5 – 7 January
Christmas Land of Dreams (Kraina Mriy Rizdvyana)
The village of Mamayeva Sloboda
(2, vul. Mykhayla Dontsya, Kyiv)
For the sixth time, “Christmas Land of Dreams” will bring together Kyivites and visitors to the city for a Christmas celebration. The numerous events will include – a large-scale concert programme, nativity plays and carol-singing, a live nativity scene, an ice figure competition, a thick Cossack soup and many other Christmas surprises. Music surprises will be provided by Oleh Stupka and Le Grand Orchestre, “Ethno Trio Troitsa”, Foma and the Christmas Orchestra. And on 12-13 January, according to tradition, young people, dressed in folk costumes and as animals, will lead out Malanka, sing shchedrivkas (New Year’s songs) and wish everyone a prosperous New Year by “sowing” grain at the venue.
6 – 8 January
Christmas in Lviv
Around the city
(Lviv)
The festival of carols, doughnuts, the making of a traditional sheaf of wheat, Christmas and charitable evening programmes – this is far from being the entire list of events that await the people of Lviv and visitors to the city over Christmas. In the courtyard of the City Hall, Voskresinnya (Resurrection) will once more organise a Christmas fairy play and present the “When Angels Come Down to Earth” performance. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to taste traditional Lviv doughnuts and sing carols together with nativity plays. But the surprises don’t end here – the programme includes numerous New Year’s and Christmas events, dramatized appearances and unforgettable impressions.
8 January, 6 p.m.
Music Meetings
National Philharmonic of Ukraine
(2, vul. Volodymyrskiy Uzviz, Kyiv)
When the winter holidays are in full swing, lovers of Christmas music will have the opportunity to see the 7th International “Music Meetings” Festival. The concert will begin with a performance by the “Dzvinochok” boys’ choir – a winner of international competitions. This will be followed by the youth choir of the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy and the “Lastivka” children’s choir. The evening programme will feature sacred music, carols and shchedrivkas (New Year’s songs). The special atmosphere of the Christmas holidays is possible thanks to the unique sound of young voices, which are also a guarantee of a good mood.
