Razom at Eurovision 2024: A Recap and Look Forward

Published: June 7, 2024   

The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is over with Switzerland taking home the trophy this year, but Ukraine’s performance “Teresa & Maria” by alyona alyona & Jerry Heil was nothing short of remarkable!

The Eurovision Song Contest took place in Malmö, Sweden on Tuesday 7 May (First Semi-Final), Thursday 9 May (Second Semi-Final) and Saturday 11 May (Grand Final) 2024. We at Razom, were proud to be part of the action, securing media accreditation and bringing you exclusive content throughout the competition.

Ukraine’s consistent success at Eurovision speaks volumes about the country’s incredible talent. This year, securing a well-deserved 3rd place further solidifies this legacy. With millions tuning in globally, Eurovision provided a powerful platform for Ukrainian music and culture.

The Razom team was on the ground and we were actively involved. We distributed gift packages to delegations and media, collaborated with the “Moloda Dumka” Children’s Choir on a captivating cover of “Teresa & Maria” (check it out on our YouTube), and even participated in a press conference, generating international media attention on Ukraine.

During our time at the press center, our goal was capturing content and interviews to ensure Ukraine remained a key part of the Eurovision conversation. This was especially important as media focus had shifted away from Ukraine in the preceding months.

Check out Razom’s exclusive interviews with Eurovision 2024 participants on our YouTube channel and don’t forget to subscribe!

Watch the interviews

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Ilya Kaminsky with Yulia Musakovska and Olena Jennings at NYPL: In the Hour of War

Published: May 31, 2024   

On May 9th, Ukrainian poetry was heard at the NYPL’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library. The New York Public Library (NYPL), Manhattan’s largest circulating library, was recently renovated with a generous gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and is a prime location for popular literary events in its 7th-floor terraced space.

Razom has been developing Ukrainian literary events with the librarians here for over a year. This was our second collaboration with them, following t last fall’s Ukrainian Cultural Festival, which featured writers Olena Stiazhkina, Andriy Kurkov, and Oksana Lutsyshyna.

At the center of this event were two books of poetry from Arrowsmith Press: Yulia Musakovska‘s first collection in English, The God of Freedom, and an anthology of Ukraine’s best poetry, In the Hour of War, co-edited by Ilya Kaminsky and Carolyn Forché. Both collections underscore the urgency of hearing poetry from a land devastated by war, affecting people, buildings, animals, and nature.

The anthology features the work of many poets and translators. Ilya Kaminsky presented his translations of Lesyk Panasiuk, Ostap Slyvynsky, Dmitry Blizniuk, and Anastasia Afanasieva, while Olena Jennings, a NY-based poet and translator, presented her translations of Kateryna Kalytko and Iryna Shuvalova. Photos of the poets were displayed on large screens in the auditorium, creating a visual presence in the room.

Unfortunately, the duration of the event was limited – we could have read and discussed poetry and the war in Ukraine for hours more! This is why Razom plans to host additional literary events and why we recommend purchasing these books.

Ilya Kaminsky spoke warmly about Razom’s work in Ukraine and shared feedback he has received during his frequent travels there. He also mentioned his work with a children’s poetry club in Odesa. One short poem by a very young Odesa-based poet was read, which was incredible.

More on the Speakers:

Yuliya Musakovska is an award-winning Ukrainian poet and translator who lives in Lviv, Ukraine. She is the author of five poetry collections, with a sixth on the way. The God of Freedom was published in Ukrainian in 2021 and has recently been published by Arrowsmith Press. Her poems have been translated into over thirty languages. She is fluent in English and Swedish and has translated poetry from these languages, including the works of Tomas Tranströmer.

Olena Jennings is a co-translator of The God of Freedom. Olena is a NY-based writer, poet, and translator who has significantly contributed to bringing Ukrainian poetry to American readers. In addition to Yuliya’s poems, she read her translations of Kateryna Kalytko and Iryna Shuvalova. Olena is the founder and curator of the Poets of Queens reading series and press.

Ilya Kaminsky was born in Odesa, Ukraine, and now lives in the United States. He is the author of two poetry collections, Dancing in Odesa and Deaf Republic, which came out in 2019 and was featured on many best poetry lists that year. He is a professor at Princeton University. Ilya co-founded Young People’s Poems Against Missiles, a program in Odesa that supports young and very young poets. As the program movingly states, Poems can allow young people to articulate themselves when they are in bomb shelters.” In 2023, he co-edited In the Hour of War with Carolyn Forché, a collection of poetry from Ukraine.

Join Razom Connect and discover the beauty of Ukrainian art, history, and voices!

Make sure to follow our newsletter and social media for more announcements! 

Together, we can prove to cultural programmers that Ukrainian stories are necessary and that there is a large audience ready for them.

Celebrate Ukrainian Culture and Strength with Vyshyvanka Day!

Published: May 13, 2024   

 #RazomVyshyvankaDay 🇺🇦

As we gear up to celebrate Vyshyvanka Day on May 16th, let’s delve into the significance of this intricate embroidered garment and why it holds such a profound place in Ukrainian culture.

The vyshyvanka is more than just a piece of clothing; it’s a vibrant tapestry woven with history, symbolism, and regional flair. Each stitch and motif carries a deeper meaning, passed down through generations. Here’s a glimpse into the rich symbolism embedded in Ukrainian embroidery:

• Colors hold significant meaning. Red symbolizes passion, love, and prosperity; blue represents peace, sky, and water; yellow signifies the sun, harvest, and joy.

• Ukrainian embroidery can reflect a blend of ancient beliefs and Christian faith. Geometric patterns like circles and squares might represent the sun, earth, or fertility, while Christian symbols like crosses and stars can also be incorporated.

• Embroidery styles and motifs differ across Ukraine’s diverse regions. For example, the Poltava region is known for its colorful floral patterns, while the Chernihiv region features intricate geometric designs.

 Why Vyshyvanka Day Matters

Celebrating Ukrainian Culture:
 Vyshyvanka Day is a day when Ukrainians worldwide proudly don their embroidered attire, showcasing their solidarity and unwavering commitment to preserving their heritage. It’s a celebration that not only honors the past but also paves the way for future generations to embrace their roots.

Resisting Cultural Erasure:
The vyshyvanka stands as a symbol of resistance. As Russia seeks to undermine Ukrainian identity, this traditional garment becomes a powerful tool of defiance, reminding the world that the spirit of Ukraine cannot be extinguished.

Share your photos on social media using #RazomVyshyvankaDay and #VyshyvankaDay to raise awareness about this important cultural symbol and inspire others to participate.

On Vyshyvanka Day, let’s not only adorn ourselves with the beauty of embroidered patterns but also carry forward the legacy they represent. Let’s stand in solidarity with Ukraine, embracing its culture, history, and unwavering spirit. Together, let’s weave a tapestry of resilience, unity, and hope that transcends borders and generations.

 

Join the movement, wear your vyshyvanka with pride, and let the world witness the enduring strength of Ukraine.

Razom Hosts Evening with Ukrainian Conductor Oksana Lyniv

Published: May 10, 2024   

On Sunday, April 14, 2024, Razom for Ukraine hosted a Q&A event with maestro Oksana Lyniv, following one of her last performances of “Turandot” at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

 

Maestro Lyniv made history as the first female chief conductor of an Italian opera house at Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Her debut at the Bayreuth Festival with Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman”, marked another milestone as the first female conductor in the festival’s history. With a remarkable career spanning prestigious venues worldwide, Ms. Lyniv finally graced New York with her presence in 2024, as the first Ukrainian conductor to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.

Razom Board Member, Maria Genkin, moderated the discussion that spanned topics from Ms. Lyniv’s creative process to her cultural diplomacy. The assembled guests heard about how much research goes into conducting a new composer and a new opera, prior to performing, such as investigating what musical and historical background composers like Puccini had, at the time of his work. Also discussed, the differences between the production of the Turandot staged in New York City and the previous one she conducted in Rome, Italy in March 2022. That one, directed by Ai Wei Wei, was framed by a political message that included fresh images from Ukraine’s Bucha.

Maestro Lyniv talked about the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, an ensemble that she founded, and how this group is representing Ukraine and performing Ukrainian composers at various international festivals. This work is not only a part of cultural diplomacy, but a vital component of developing the next generation of Ukrainian musicians. The topic of the controversial decision to conduct Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” at the Dresden Opera this July was also touched upon. The conversation explored how “cancel culture” works in various countries, and how Ms. Lyniv is planning to use this performance to change the narrative about this composer.

 

“I often hear the comparison that when Ukrainians perform works by Russian authors, they seem to be siding with the enemy. But in reality, it works differently. Russian classical works are just a common musical resource. Furthermore, these works no longer surprise anyone, and no political coloring is projected onto them. The works of Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, etc., stand alongside the works of Berlioz, Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven, Ravel, etc., and are perceived as mandatory repertoire that every professional musician should master.


Therefore, Ukrainians who achieve success, including by using “their” Russian repertoire resources, are actually moving forward and advancing in creating new performance opportunities for Ukrainian music. It’s akin to our defenders on the front lines seizing the enemy’s weapons and using them to reclaim new territories.” – explains Ms. Lyniv.

Razom is proud to announce that we will be providing grant support for a visit by four Ukrainian performers from the Youth Symphony Orchestra for a visit to Carnegie Hall’s World Orchestra Week in August. Ukrainian musicians will participate in the European Union Youth Orchestra performance on August 6th. As per maestro Lyniv, while Ukraine is not a part of the European Union, it is an important symbolic measure to have young Ukrainian musicians included in this performance.

Join Razom Connect and discover the beauty of Ukrainian art, history, and voices!

Make sure to follow our newsletter and social media for more announcements! 

Together, we can prove to cultural programmers that Ukrainian stories are necessary and that there is a large audience ready for them.

 

Cleveland International Film Festival Guide: Through Ukrainian Eyes

Published: March 16, 2024   

Film festival season is well underway, and Razom Cinema is keeping a close eye on what’s being programmed. The Sundance Film Festival brought another win for a Ukrainian story – the documentary Porcelain War directed by Slava Leontyev and Brendan Bellomo took home the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature. The film is coming to the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) and will be screening together with other stories focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as narrative cinema in a program called Ukrainian Cinema. CIFF 2024 will take place in Cleveland, OH from April 3-13, with CIFF streams available April 14-21. 

This program also includes Razom Cinema grantee Rule of Two Walls directed by David Gutnik and produced by Olha Beskhmelnytsina! It is incredible to see Ukrainian cinema be celebrated at international film festivals and we are excited to share our Festival Guide: Through Ukrainian Eyes ClFF 2024 edition. Good news – if you are not able to catch them in Cleveland in person, you can tune in online through CIFF Streams. Here’s what we’ve got:

Rule of Two Walls 

In-person: Sat April 6 | KeyBank State Theater

Online: April 14 – 21

In this harsh but elucidating doc, UkrainianAmerican filmmaker David Gunik trains his camera on the Ukrainian artists who have chosen to stay behind as Russia’s invasion rages on around them. By making their art, they hope to protect their embattled country’s own artistic culture, no matter how many bombs drop around them.

 

Defiant

In-person: Fri April 5 | Upper Allen Theater

                Tue April 9 | Upper Allen Theater

Online: April 14 – 21

There’s more than one way to fight a war. Witness the ongoing invasion of Ukraine from inside the battle-torn country’s administration through such officials as the Minister Of Foreign Affairs, the Vice Prime Minister, and the nation’s lead negotiator, as they attempt to broker peace.



Athletes of War

In-person: Wed April 10 | Mimi Ohio Theater

Online: April 14 – 21

How does one fight for the gold when an endless war has taken away a generation of competitors and destroyed their facilities? Meet the dwindling number of Ukrainian athletes as they prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, while trying to survive Russia’s violent invasion of their country.

 

Porcelain War

In-person: Fri April 12 | Allen Theater

As the Russia-Ukraine war rages mere miles away, Kharkiv-based husband and wife team Slava Leontyev and Anya Stasenko make tiny porcelain figurines. What does it mean to continue with their artistic passions as the world crumbles around them? Winner of the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2024.

 

Forever – Forever 

In-person: Fri April 12 | Mimi Ohio Theater

Online: April 14 – 21

Will you survive if nobody loves you? Get an uncompromising glimpse of troubled adolescent life in post-Communist Kyiv through Tonia, the new kid in school, as she tries to assimilate into her new world. But as a love triangle starts to form among the clique, will her past catch up with her?

In-person: Wed April 10 | Allen Theater

Online: April 14 – 21

 

I am Coming Home

In a war-torn land, a courageous young woman joins the Ukrainian military forces as a sapper, determined to bring peace by clearing the land where she was born. Her journey defies conventions, showcasing the power of individual bravery amidst the chaos of the war.

Our Ukrainian Sky

An unlikely group of lawyers with no previous humanitarian experience, drive used pickup trucks into an active warzone.

A Day in February 

In another country, separated from her family, one phone call is all Galyna has to ensure their safety.

Blue Skies Over Donetsk

A Ukrainian father delivers stoves to frontline families without power, all while attempting to create normalcy for his children growing up in a war zone.

Claudio’s Song

A young man faces the wrath of a family of criminals that target people who are famous on the internet and extort money from them. When their scheme fails, the plan to kill him takes an unexpected turn.

Berdyans’k 

Lera, a young Ukrainian refugee in Ireland, uses dark web seance software to connect with her sister who has just died on the front line.

Note of Defiance

Filmed in early 2023, on the Ukrainian-Russian border, this short documentary explores two artists’ use of their creativity and art as a means of cultural survival and defiance.

Make sure to follow our newsletter and social media for more announcements! 

Together, we can prove to cultural programmers that Ukrainian stories are necessary and that there is a large audience ready for them.

 

Дивимось і  читаймо Українське Разом!

Learn more about Razom efforts on the cultural diplomacy front within our Razom Culture project.

What to Read and See about Ukraine and Ukrainians in 2024

Published: January 18, 2024   

A Journey Through Ukrainian Literature

Explore a rich array of Ukrainian books already translated into English, supported by Razom. 

From Volodymyr Rafeyenko’s Mondegreen and his magical realism novel The Length of Days, exploring the annexation of Donetsk, to captivating works by other Ukrainian literary giants like Serhiy Zhadan, Andriy Kurkov, and Oksana Litsyshyna, as well as non-fiction accounts by Stanislav Aseyev, Serhiy Zhadan, and Andriy Kurkov. If you enjoyed “20 Days in Mariupol,” delve into the novel by its director, Mstyslav Chernov, titled The Dreamtime.

Olena Stiazhkina’s books.

Cecile the Lion Had To Die, a novel about the four Donetsk families and two generations, the last Soviet one and the first Ukrainian one. This book was Razom Book Club’s favorite read in 2021, which is why we extended a grant to publish it. This novel has already been taught in a few U.S. universities and received great marks by students and professors. Also, Olena’s diary of Russia’s 2014 take over of Donetsk was published for the first time in English. It was originally written in Russian, but the author decided not to publish it in the original language.

Pre-order copies of both books.

New Translations of Lesia Ukrainka

The modernist Ukrainian writer Lesia Ukrainka (pen name of Larysa Kosach-Kvitka) pioneered a new feminist literature at the forefront of European trends of the time. Born in 1871, her dramas, poetry and prose address concerns ranging from gender and race to feminism and environmentalism. 

Harvard University Press is publishing a new translation of Cassandra, a dramatic poem and a translation of Forest Song by Razom’s frequent collaborators Virlana Tkacz and Wanda Phipps  of Yara Arts. Cassandra has already played to great reviews in London in 2021, and Yara Arts staged Forest Song online during the Covid quarantine (available online).

 

Yaroslav Trofimov

Immerse yourself in the riveting firsthand account of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine capturing the heroism and resilience of the Ukrainian people, as recounted by Yaroslav Trofimov, Wall Street Journal’s Chief Foreign Correspondent. The title, Our Enemies Will Vanish, comes from Ukraine’s national hymn.

Artem Chapaye

A stunning debut collection by Artem Chapaye, a Ukrainian writer currently defending his country in Kyiv. 

His collection, featuring the celebrated title story The Ukraine, published in the New Yorker in 2022, offers irreverent, tender, uncomfortable and inconvenient narratives.

Other Anticipated Books in 2024

Look forward to new translations of Andriy Kurkov’s novels, Artem Chech’s And Who are You?, Oksana Lutsyshyna’s Love Life, classics by Valerian Pidmohilny and Mike Iohanssen, and a sweeping Second World War novel depicting Kyiv under occupation by Oleksiy Nikitin.

A Journey Through Ukrainian Cinema

20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL

This powerful, award-winning documentary directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning Ukrainian journalist Mstyslav Chernov,  is one of the “musts” to watch and spread the word about. 

This year, “20 Days in Mariupol” made history for Ukraine by getting on the shortlist for the Academy Awards in two categories – International Feature and Documentary Feature.

 

Razom is proud to partner with 

FRONTLINE |  PBS in bringing this documentary to universities around the U.S. through our Ukraine on Campus program. 

If you are a student, professor, staff at a university and would like to participate, reach out to info@razomforukraine.org and stay tuned for announcements!

 

In the meantime, catch the film online and spread the word!

Watch:  20 Days in Mariupol (full documentary) | FRONTLINE and The Associated Press 

pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/20-days-in-mariupol

 For more updates and where to catch the film next, see

20daysinmariupol.com

IN THE REARVIEW

Another documentary that entered the Razom Cinema network is Polish/Ukrainian/French collaboration called “In The Rearview”. Behind this award-winning film is a small team of filmmakers who put their lives on hold to help Ukraine and ended up documenting the journey. “In The Rearview” is a collection of stories that director Maciek Hamela recorded during his volunteer rescue expeditions to evacuate people from different regions in Ukraine to safety. In the recent Q&A after the screening, producer Anna Palenchuk shared that she and her family had to leave Bucha around the same time as Maciek’s rescue missions. “I could’ve been one of his passengers”, said Anna. Razom supported the documentary during the OSCAR 2024 campaign as it is another Ukrainian story in the run for the nominations. 

 

Follow their social media channels for the latest on upcoming screenings: https://www.instagram.com/intherearview.film/

 

If you are interested in bringing this film to your community, give us a shout!

A RISING FURY

Razom had the pleasure to support the production of “A Rising Fury”, which is now a critically acclaimed and 96th Academy Award longlisted feature documentary about the Russo-Ukrainian War.  Directed/produced by Lesya Kalynska and Ruslan Batytskyi, produced by TJ Collins and Jonathan Borge Lie, the film reveals the true untold story of how the Russo-Ukrainian war began in 2014. It’s a story about love, revolution, deception, and war filmed for nearly 10 years through intimate verité material. The filmmaking  team has plans to make the documentary available to stream to the public in the U.S. and abroad in late spring 2024.

Mark your calendar – “A Rising Fury” will have a special screening in LA at TCL Chinese Theater on February 22, 2024 at 3:30PM and 7:00PM. For more information about the film and what’s next for the team, go to https://arisingfury.com/

RULE OF TWO WALLS

In Summer 2023, Razom provided a grant to the documentary team “Rule of Two Walls” to help bring their team and Ukrainian artists featured in the documentary to attend the World Premiere of the film at the Tribeca Film Festival. Since then, the documentary traveled across other prestigious film festivals and will screen in Australia at the Antenna Documentary Film Festival in February.

 

 Executive produced by Liev Schreiber, the film gives an insight into the lives of Ukrainian artists who create art as a defiant act in the face of aggression. 

 

Follow the film page on instagram https://www.instagram.com/ruleoftwowallsfilm/

KLONDIKE

After becoming the first Ukrainian filmmaker to receive the Sundance Award in World Cinema Dramatic Competition in 2022, Maryna Er Gorbach and her film “Klondike” collected various international awards and were Ukraine’s submission to the OSCARS 2022. This past Summer, “Klondike” had its U.S. theatrical release at the Angelika theater. Razom supported the film with a grant during its Oscars campaign.

You can now watch the film online!

Apple TV

Prime video 

A BLIND GAME / ГРА В СЛІПОТУ

Ruslan Batytskyi with Anna Borysova  created powerful videos that documented Razom’s work and its impact on the ground in Ukraine. Their short documentary highlights the resilience and unbreakable spirit of sportsmen with disabilities – their undying motivation and belief in themselves. You can watch the full film on YouTube for free. 

A HOUSE MADE OF SPLINTERS

Another Razom supported film that made noise at the OSCARS 2023 after being nominated for Best Documentary Feature is the film directed by Simon Lereng Wilmont, co-produced by Ukrainian producers Darya Bassel and Vika Khomenko. The film follows the lives of children and the caregivers in an orphanage in Eastern Ukraine as the war in the region takes a heavy toll on families living nearby. 

Razom helped assure there is a strong Ukrainian representation at the Oscars by providing a travel grant for the producers and caregivers featured in the documentary. 

You can now watch the film on Apple TV

UKRAINIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL

If you didn’t get the chance to attend the film screenings during UCF this past fall, you are able to catch some of them on TAKFLIX – Ukraine’s first streaming service of all things Ukrainian Cinema. 

Feature Film:

Pamfir: https://www.takflix.com/en/films/pamfir

Short Films:

Liturgy of Anti-tanks Obstacles: When Ukrainian Artists Prepare for War | Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles | The New Yorker Documentary

I Didn’t Want To Make A War Film: I Did Not Want to Make a War Film | The New Yorker Documentary

Call Me Anytime, I’m Not Leaving The House: https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/callmeanytimeimnotleavingthehouse/ 

Diaper Cake: https://www.takflix.com/en/films/diaper-cake

Golden Leggings: https://www.takflix.com/en/films/gkchp

FREEDOM ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM 

Join us for a special screening of Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary “Freedom on Fire” at the United Nations on February 20, 2024 at 6:30PM. Mark your calendars and keep an eye out for further announcements!

VESELKA – DOCUMENTARY

These dear friends of Razom are not only celebrating their 70th anniversary, but also the world premiere of documentary film “Veselka: The Rainbow on the Corner at the Center of the World” at Village East cinema.

VESELKA | Official Trailer (2024)

Join us on February 23, 2024 to support Veselka, their team, and their generational impact on the community.

Make sure to follow our newsletter and social media for more announcements! 

Together, we can prove to cultural programmers that Ukrainian stories are necessary and that there is a large audience ready for them.

 

Дивимось і  читаймо Українське Разом!

Learn more about Razom efforts on the cultural diplomacy front within our Razom Culture project.

Razom Congratulates Ukrainian Films in the Running for the 2024 Oscars

Published: December 22, 2023   

Razom Congratulates Ukrainian Films in the Running for the 2024 Oscars

 

December 21st brought us the long awaited news of shortlisted films for the 2024 Oscars (Academy Awards). Razom is celebrating the incredible accomplishments of every Ukrainian story that became a contender for an Oscar, and those that went on to fill up the slots on the shortlist for the award. Over the years, Razom Cinema has supported films that amplify Ukrainian voices and center stories from Ukraine, and this year we congratulate all of our filmmakers not only on this accomplishment, but also for the impactful work that led to this point. 

SHORTLISTED FILMS

20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL

Trailer: 20 Days In Mariupol (trailer) | FRONTLINE

Synopsis: An AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city, they capture what later become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more. (20daysinmariupol.com)

 

“20 Days in Mariupol” is shortlisted for the Documentary Feature category as well as the International Feature category, where it represents Ukraine. Razom, along with other partners, has supported the film during its U.S. theatrical release, as well as helping bring the documentary to various communities around the U.S. This film is currently available to watch online (U.S. territory) on YouTube as well as PBS Frontline. 

IN THE REARVIEW

Trailer: IN THE REARVIEW Trailer | TIFF 2023

Synopsis: In the Rearview is an authentic, intimate observation of war as it unfolds, following multiple generations of Ukrainian civilians as they abruptly abandon their homes and rely on the help of director Maciek Hamela’s volunteer aid van to escape the life-threatening conflict. As he steers through minefields to leave Ukraine and tries to get through numerous military checkpoints, Hamela offers us a seat in his car, guiding the documentary from behind the wheel and behind the camera, crisscrossing the roads of Ukraine to transport uprooted refugees safely to Poland. The van traverses tens of thousands of kilometers and serves as a waiting room, hospital, shelter, and zone for confidences and confessions among compatriots thrown together by chance. (intherearview.eu)

 

“In the Rearview” is shortlisted for the Documentary Feature category. Razom provided a grant to the film team in order to support their screenings in key cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, which were part of the Oscar campaign. Keep an eye out for more screenings in the new year!

OSCAR 2024 QUALIFIERS FROM RAZOM CINEMA

A RISING FURY

Trailer: “A Rising Fury” | Trailer | Stockholm International Film Festival 2022

Synopsis: “A RISING FURY” follows two hopeful Ukrainian idealists from the peaceful protest in Kyiv in 2013 to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Pavlo and Svitlana met and fell in love at the Maidan Revolution and were filmed nearly 10 years with several expeditions to the frontlines of the war. When Russia invaded Crimea and Donbas in 2014, Pavlo lost his family home and joined the Ukrainian military effort. To defend his nation, he engages in deadly firefights against former friends and a close military instructor who join Russian forces. As Svitlana transports food and medical supplies, both find themselves on the battle lines, protecting their land, democracy, and their relationship. This film reveals the true untold story of how the Russo-Ukrainian war began nearly 10 years ago. (arisingfury.com)

 

“A Rising Fury” recently had an incredible US theatrical release in NYC (watch a conversation between director Lesya Kalynska and Professor Timothy Snyder). This came after their successful festival run that started from Tribeca Film Festival in 2022. Razom is proud to have supported the making of this vital film that shines light and provides insight into the beginning of this nearly ten-year war while following the heroic journey of Pavlo.

SUNFLOWER FIELD

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/882754612

Synopsis: Under the shadowy threat of war, a young Ukrainian girl awaits a call from her father. As she waits, the day turns into night and she sinks into various dreamscapes from which she must find her way home. 

 

“Sunflower Field” just recently wrapped its festival journey – taking home the award for Best Short Animation from Oscar-qualifying Woodstock Film Festival. Razom provided support with community engagement where the filmmaker was also able to connect with several Ukrainian schools in different states to not only screen the animation, but also engage with Ukrainian children by inviting them to become part of the animation.

Make sure to follow our newsletter and social media for more announcements on how to catch these films and more! In the meantime, we urge you to connect with your local theaters, art institutions, and other locations where you could potentially host a screening of one of these films (or reach out if you’re looking for more). Together, we can prove to cultural programmers that Ukrainian stories are necessary and that there is a large audience ready for them.


Дивимось Українське Разом!

Razom Culture 

Celebrating Ukrainian Culture: Highlights from the New York Ukrainian Cultural Festival

Published: November 22, 2023   

Celebrating Ukrainian Culture: Highlights from the New York Ukrainian Cultural Festival

 

This year’s inaugural festival, founded by Razom in partnership with Yara Arts, the Shevchenko Scientific Society and the Ukrainian Institute of America, took place from November 7 – 19 in New York City. It was dedicated to the memory of renowned Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina, who tragically lost her life this past June when Kramatorsk was attacked.

 

“We decided to hold a cultural festival in New York to preserve her memory and the cause she was passionate about, the New York Literary Festival that she founded. Amplifying Ukrainian voices and cultural diplomacy here in the States are core principles of Razom’s mission, which we wanted to advance with this initiative. In general, over a thousand people connected with the festival, many of whom were not Ukrainian,” shared Razom Board member, Maria Genkin.

 

Various cultural events took place in Manhattan during the festival that focused on Ukrainian literature, music and cinema.


“We included a diverse range of films, opening with ‘Dovbush’ and hosting a packed evening with a selection of short films, concluding with ‘Pamfir’ receiving a standing ovation,” explained Polina Buchak, film curator at Razom.

Four events were dedicated to Ukrainian poetry. Poets Alex Averbukh, Boris and Lyudmila Khersonsky, and Iya Kiva read their poetry in the original, while translators or actors read in English. In events produced by Yara Arts Group, poetry from the Executed Renaissance generation of writers, Victoria Amelina, and Serhiy Zhadan, was featured.

In addition, the New York Public Library hosted a meeting with Ukrainian writers. Andrii Kurkov, Oksana Lutsyshyna, and Olena Styazhkina presented their novels published in America this year to over a hundred readers who attended.

During the festival, the public discovered the music of Sergei Bortkiewicz. Musicians Anna Shelest, Pavlo Hintov, and Oleksandr Chaplynsky performed works by this little-known composer born in Kharkiv at the end of the 19th century. 

 

Throughout the festival, organizers raised funds for Amelina’s beloved “New York Literary Festival”. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped organize this extraordinary celebration of Ukrainian culture and to all who attended!

 

 

Stay tuned for more exciting events! To support Razom: https: razomforukraine.org/donate

Razom Supports the Publication of Olena Stiazhkina’s Novel and Forthcoming U.S. Book Tour

Published: November 3, 2023   

Razom has recently supported the publication of Olena Stiazhkina’s novel “Cecil The Lion Had to Die” by Harvard University Press’s HURI Books.

In this novel, Stiazhkina follows the fate of four families as the world around them undergoes radical transformations when the Soviet Union unexpectedly implodes, independent Ukraine emerges, and neo imperial Russia begins its war by occupying Ukraine’s Crimea and parts of the Donbas. Stiazhkina shows how new identities are forged based on distant and recent decisions people make when faced with the situation of a stark choice. Just as Stiazhkina’s own decision to transition to writing in Ukrainian as part of her civic stance—performed between the covers of this book that begins in Russian and ends in Ukrainian—the choices that the members of the four families make, take them in vastly different directions, presenting an image of the Donbas that is multifaceted and nuanced. A tour de force of stylistic registers and intertwining stories, ironic voices and sincere discoveries, this novel is a must read for those who seek to more deeply understand Ukrainians from the Donbas, and how history and local identity have shaped the current war with Russia.

A historian by training, Olena Stiazhkina is a prolific Ukrainian writer and journalist with numerous scholarly publications and eleven books of fiction. Until the occupation of the city of Donetsk, she taught Slavic history at Vasyl Stus National University in Donetsk (1993–2015) and then at Mariupol State University (2015–2016). Her scholarly interests focus on women’s history, life in the Soviet Union, and the history of the Donbas. Since 2016, she has served as the senior research fellow at the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Her works of fiction comprise collections of short stories, novels, and detective stories (under the pen name Olena Iurska). Having written almost exclusively in Russian before, Stiazhkina has been transitioning to writing in Ukrainian following Russia’s 2014 aggression against Ukraine .  


The novel will be published by Harvard University Press in their Havard Library of Ukrainian Literature in the beginning of 2024. Advance copies of “Cecil the Lion had to Die” and “Ukraine War/Love: A Donetsk Diary” will be available at the November  events listed below.

 

Razom is proud to be coordinating this book tour in partnership with other organizations.

  • NOVEMBER 8th BOSTON

Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, 6:00 pm

Pritsak Memorial Library at HURI, 34 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 9th DARTMOUTH 

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 10th YALE

Henry R. Luce Hall LUCE, 203 34 Hillhouse Avenue New Haven,  CT

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 11th NEW YORK

Ukrainian Institute of America, 7:00 pm

The Forest Surrounds Poets event by Yara Arts dedicated to Victoria Amelina

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 13th NEW YORK

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), 6:30 pm

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 14th MARYLAND

NAVAL ACADEMY

  • NOVEMBER 15th DC

Georgetown University

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 16TH DC

Ukraine House, 6:00 pm

Washington, 2134 Kalorama Rd NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 17th NEW YORK

NYU Jordan Center, 5 pm

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 18th SEATTLE

Third Place Books, Ravenna, 7:00 pm

Olena Stiazhkina and Translator Dominique Hoffman

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 20th San Diego

UCSD, 10:00 am

Huerta Vera Cruz Room, Student Center

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 25th Philadelphia

Ukrainian League of Philadelphia, 800 N 23rd St at 7PM

  • NOVEMBER 27th Princeton 

144 Louis A. Simpson International Building, 12 pm

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 29th Penn State

157 Burrowers, Penn State, 4:00 pm

INFO HERE

  • NOVEMBER 30th Philadelphia

ASEEES Conference

Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Floor: 5th Floor, Salon C

INFO HERE

UKRAINIAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Published: October 26, 2023   

The Ukrainian Cultural Festival is organized by Razom, Yara Arts, Ukrainian Institute of America, Shevchenko Scientific Society and Bowery Poetry Club and will take place November 7th through November 15th in New York.

Over ten days in November, you will have an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of Ukrainian poetry and prose and check out the best in contemporary Ukrainian cinema. 

Meet writers Andriy Kurkov, Oksana Lutsyshyna, Olena Stiazhkina and poets Iya Kiva, Alex Averbuch and Lyudmyla and Boris Khersonskys. Watch “Pamfir” and other contemporary films.

Below is the schedule of events. Please check in often for changes and ticket information.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th

DOVBUSH

Presented by Razom

The most ambitious Ukrainian action movie to date, the drama, directed by Oles Sanin, tells the story of Oleksa Dovbush, one of the leaders of Ukrainian resistance known as ‘Opryshky’ which opposed Polish and Austrian administrations. The resistance movement had been active from 16th to 19th centuries. Released in Ukraine in August 2023 the movie became a box office sensation even when the movie showings are interrupted by air raids.

ANGELIKA FILM CENTER, 18 W. Houston St. New York, NY 10012

Time: 7:00 pm

Tickets: HERE

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8th ​

BOWERY POETRY CLUB, 308 Bowery, NYC, 7:00 pm

Tickets: $15 cash at the door

How Fire Descends: NY Poets & Artists Respond to Ukrainian Poetry

Presented by Bowery Poetry Club & Yara Arts Group

NY Poets & Artists Respond to Ukrainian Poetry featuring Ukrainian poet Iya Kiva. 

Translators Amelia Glaser, Olena Jennings, Virlana Tkacz and Wanda Phipps; and poets: Pichchenda Bao, Bob Holman; Yara Arts Group and Bushwick Book Club react to Serhiy Zhadan’s new book “How Fire Descends”

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10th

Shevchenko Scientific Society, 63 4th Ave, 7:00 pm

Registration: HERE

Of Rage and Longing: poetry by Alex Averbuch

Presented by Shevchenko Scientific Society

Poetry in Ukrainian with English translation. Moderation by Oleh Kotsyuba

Translations read by Sashko Krapivkin.

Alex Averbuch will read from his latest book Zhydivsky korol (The Jewish King, a 2023 finalist for the Shevchenko National Prize), as well as from his upcoming collection, Of Rage and Longing, and answer questions from the audience. Averbuch’s poetry deals with intertwoven Jewish-Ukrainian relations through the prism of his family history and Ukraine’s multiethnic past and present. The book features poeticized documentary materials related to the Second World War: letters by Ukrainian Ostarbeiters sent to their relatives in Ukraine, intertwined with letters by Jewish Holocaust survivors who returned to devastated villages in Ukraine in search of their murdered relatives, as well as poems about the Russo-Ukrainian war currently taking place in his home region of Luhans’k. Unsettling but ultimately liberatory de-specifications of ethnos, language, and sexuality relieve trigger-points in Ukraine’s history through the confessional intimacy of family, shame, pleasure, and the reconciliation of self and other.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10th

6:30PM in The Frederick P. Rose Auditorium at Cooper Union

Tickets: HERE

A BIT OF BRAVERY: shorts program

Presented by Cooper Union and Razom

The screening, which is 82 minutes long, will present the following movies:

Event will be introduced with a performance of Lesya Verba (bandura musician)

 

Screening is followed by Q&A with creators.

The screening is co-hosted by Razom for Ukraine and Cooper Union and co-presented with Takflix.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11th

UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, 2 E 79th St, NYC, 7 pm

Tickets: HERE

A FOREST SURROUNDS POETS: UKRAINIAN POETRY IN PERFORMANCE 

In English with some Ukrainian

Come to hear Ukrainian Poetry in Performance by Yara Arts Group, a resident company at La MaMa Experimental Theatre. Reception sponsored by Razom for Ukraine immediately following the event.The event is dedicated to Victoria Amelina, who was killed last summer. Tern Kuzma will perform her poetry, while Olena Stiazhkina will speak about Victoria Amelina and the New York Literary Festival she founded in Ukraine.The event is inspired by a recent poem by Serhiy Zhadan:
“It feels like every year in November
a forest surrounds poets – a forest of the condemned…”In “A Forest Surround Poets” Yara artists perform in English the poetry by such cultural giants of the 1920s as Les Kurbas, Pavlo Tychyna, Volodymyr Svidzinsky, Mikhail lohansen, and Hat Khotkevych, accompanied by master-bandura player Julian Kytasty, as well as the wild verse of Futurists Mykhail Semeneko and Oleksa Vlyzko. Then, Yara’s George Drance, Silvana Gonzalez, Susan Hwang, Petro Ninovskyi and Lesia Verba perform a concert version of the third act of “Radio 477!” by Serhiy Zhadan, accompanied by composer Anthony Coleman. The act opens with a scene that draws a connection between the destruction of Ukrainian culture in the purges and the assault on Kharkiv in the first days of the russian invasion and then plunges into Serhiy Zhadan’s newest poetry.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 12th

THE QUAD CINEMA, 34 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011

Time: 6:30 pm

Tickets: HERE

PAMFIR 

Presented by Razom

Pamfir is a 2022 Ukrainian fictional feature film directed by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, which premiered on May 22, 2022, at the 75th Festival de Cannes.

“Savagely cinematic, charged with feral energy and exploring a story that dances between muddy realism and a mythic, quasi-magical abandon, Pamfir would be impressive even if it hadn’t been made in Ukraine on the cusp of conflict.” – The Guardian

MONDAY NOVEMBER 13th

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), 455 Fifth Avenue, NY 6:30 PM

Registration: HERE

The New Ukrainian Novel: Kurkov, Lutsyshyna, Stiazkina 

Presented by New York Public Library and Razom

Join some of Ukraine’s most prolific and distinguished writers – Olena Stiazhkina, Oksana Lutsyshyna and Andrey Kurkov – for this evening celebrating the rich literary culture of Ukraine. The authors will discuss their latest works, which illuminate Ukraine’s diverse society and deal with the legacy of Soviet and post-Soviet rule, as well as the present situation in the country.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18th

Bortkiewicz piano works

presented by #PlayUkrainianMusic

Faust Harrison Pianos, 207 W 58th st, 7:00 pm

 

Tickets: HERE

Please join us for an evening celebrating Sergei Bortkiewicz (1877-1952), a brilliant Ukrainian composer and pianist, whose deeply lyrical and expressive piano music will take center stage.

Program: 

Crimean Sketches op. 8

Three Pieces op. 24.

1001 Nights op. 37.

Performers: Alexander Chaplinskiy, Pavlo Gintov and Anna Shelest.

Sergei Bortkiewicz was born and grew up in Kharkiv, a birthplace of Ukrainian Romanticism and one of the country’s most significant cultural centers. A true romantic, he often drew inspiration from literature and nature, and in spite of him facing incredible hardships, his music never wavered in its pursuit of beauty.

We are dedicating this program to the people of Kharkiv and their courageous stand in the face of the blatant russian aggression. All funds raised from this concert will go to Razom for Ukraine toward their relief work in the Kharkiv region.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 19th

Location: TBD

Time: 2 pm

Tickets: HERE

Today is a Different War: Poetry of Boris and Lyudmyla Khersonsky

Presented by Shevchenko Scientific Society and Razom

Poetry in Russian and in Ukrainian with English translation. Conversation is in English. Moderated by Marie Howe, the State Poet for f NY.

Boris Khersonsky and Lyudmyla Khersonska write poetry that speaks to the crisis of our times. Widely regarded as one of Ukraine’s most prominent rusophone poets, Boris Khersonsky was born in Chernivtsi and spent most of his time in Odesa, where he practices psychiatry. Born in Tiraspol, Moldova, Lyudmyla Khersonska is an award winning poet. Her first collection in English came out recently in Arrowsmith. Boris and Lyudmila’s joint collection “The Country Where Everyone’s Name is Fear” came out in Lost Horse Press in 2022.