The President Met with Cultural Figures Ahead of the All-Ukrainian Day of Culture Workers and Masters of Folk Art

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Ahead of the All-Ukrainian Day of Culture Workers and Masters of Folk Art, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with cultural figures.

The Head of State congratulated representatives of the cultural and artistic communities on the upcoming occasion and thanked them for preserving and nurturing Ukrainian culture during wartime.

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"The Russians are undoubtedly trying to destroy everything that belongs to us. I want to thank you for defending Ukrainian culture. Culture matters to all of us. And we want to show this not in words, but in actions. We are increasing the Ministry of Culture's budget by 40%. This is only the beginning," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

During the conversation, the President outlined several priorities. The first is to maximize investment in producing our own Ukrainian-language content, and the state will support numerous programs to that end. The second is to safeguard Ukraine's existing cultural heritage. A dedicated fund has been established, to which foreign funds will be attracted - there are already concrete agreements - and these resources will be fully channeled to the protection and restoration of cultural heritage.

The international dimension is also important. On Friday, Ukraine was elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for 2025-2029 with the highest vote count; our country joined the Board along with Romania and Moldova, while Russia lost the vote for the second time. The Head of State stressed that this effort lasted seven months. Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that, for the first time, Ukraine will appoint its own Ambassador to UNESCO.

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The President presented state awards to cultural and artistic figures. In particular, he awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, V class, to Hennadii Dybovskyi, Director and Artistic Director of the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre, which resumed operations in Uzhhorod after the temporary occupation of Mariupol. Under Hennadii Dybovskyi's leadership, the theatre has actively toured Ukraine and abroad. This October, it launched a tour of European cities with the play Mariupol Drama, aimed at conveying the truth about Russian crimes and serving as an important element of cultural diplomacy.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also handed the Order of Merit, III class (posthumously), to the daughter of Maryna Hrytsenko, Chief Curator of the collections of the Hryhorii Galagan Chernihiv Regional Art Museum. From the start of the full-scale invasion until the liberation of the Chernihiv region, she and her daughter lived in the museum, safeguarding its collection and relocating items to safety after the building was damaged by shelling. Beginning in February 2023, Maryna Hrytsenko served as a riflewoman-medic in the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, taking part in combat in various sectors of the front. She was killed in August this year in the Luhansk region as a result of an enemy drone attack.

The Order of Merit, III class, was also awarded to Serhii Didok, Chief Conductor of the Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theatre. He has arranged over 20 compositions for the theatre's orchestra and created around 20 adaptations of classical and contemporary works. He is also the author of Ukrainian translations and lyrics for well-known musicals and operettas.

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Choreographer, stage director, and producer Olena Koliadenko received the Order of Princess Olga, III class. She is the founder of the Freedom Ballet, which regularly participates in stage productions, television projects, and filming in Ukraine and abroad, as well as the Freedom Jazz band. Olena Koliadenko collaborates with well-known Ukrainian performers.

Additionally, the Head of State conferred honorary titles, including People's Artist of Ukraine, Merited Artist of Ukraine, Merited Figure of Arts of Ukraine, Merited Master of Folk Art of Ukraine, Merited Culture Worker of Ukraine, and Merited Painter of Ukraine.

The President and participants also had the opportunity to view the exhibition War: Inverse Perspective, dedicated to artistic reflection on experiences and rethinking during both the Second World War and the current Russian war against Ukraine. The exhibition features works by 37 contemporary artists from across Ukraine and 39 painters whose works are held in the collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.