Via Carpatia 2021

The 4th International Forum of Central and Eastern Europe, Via Carpatia 2021: The Capital of Freedom — 30 Years of Cultural Independence, took place in the village of Kryvorivnia and the town of Verkhovyna, Ivano-Frankivsk region, on 25–27 June 2021.

The Forum featured panel discussions at the intersection of culture and politics. Guided by experienced moderators, leading political scientists, historians, cultural scholars, writers and directors held discussions in Kryvorivnia and live on Espreso:
– ROOTS. PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE
– PROJECTION. CREATING AN IMAGE OF THE ERA OF INDEPENDENCE
– THE BACKBONE OF CULTURAL INDEPENDENCE. CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING, INSTITUTIONS AND RESOURCES
– URBI ET ORBI. CULTURAL DIPLOMACY AND TOURISM
– REMEMBRANCE. MEMORY POLICY AND CULTIVATING IDENTITY

The music programme featured well-known bands. Go-A, the new star of Ukrainian cultural diplomacy, performed in Verkhovyna after appearing at Eurovision. Haydamaky came to the Forum with a premiere, presenting songs from their new musical project Triumph of the Word, set to poems by writers of the Executed Renaissance.

Mandry, Koralli and Myron Bloshchyshchak also performed. The breakthrough act of the year, Hutsul Planet, made its first appearance on a major stage with the premiere of its album Spring Thoughts. The concert was hosted by Anzhelika Rudnytska, a legend of Ukrainian music since independence.

Rostyslav Derzhypilskyi and Halyna Barankevych staged the open-air drama-concert Expelled from Paradise with the Ivano-Frankivsk National Drama Theatre. The theatre also prepared a premiere of Hutsul Wedding, based on works by Ukrainian classics.

The Forum also hosted a book fair as part of the literary Vincenz Circle, where guests could buy books and attend engaging events for children and adults.

The Hutsulshchyna Museum in Verkhovyna presented the return of Stanisław Vincenz’s library to Ukraine and Luminaries of the Hutsul Region, an exhibition of paintings by Mykola and Liudmyla Rybenchuk.

In keeping with tradition, the Stanisław Vincenz Prize for Humanistic Service and a Contribution to Regional Development was awarded for the fourth time, to Professor Petro Rykhlo.

Together with you, we addressed issues important to the advancement of Ukrainian culture and examined the experience, mistakes and achievements of 30 years of cultural independence. These priorities were reflected in the panels and discussions broadcast live from Kryvorivnia on Espreso. This year, Espreso’s flagship weekly programmes — Vitaliy Portnykov’s PolitClub and An Evening with Mykola Kniazhytskyi — were also broadcast live from the Via Carpatia Forum.
As a result, almost two million Ukrainians joined our conversation.

Organisers
Verkhovyna — Flower of the Carpathians NGO, All-Ukrainian Democratic Forum NGO, Espreso TV, Verkhovyna Settlement Council

Initiator: Mykola Kniazhytskyi

With support from the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the Ukrainian Book Institute, the Poroshenko Charity Foundation and Astarta-Kyiv Agro-Industrial Holding

Director: Yaryna Yasynevych

Director and curator: Rostyslav Derzhypilskyi

Curators: Olena Sharhovska, Olha Salo and Oksana Poltavets

Television curator: Svitlana Samoilenko

More information and photos at https://viacarpatia.org/2021/