Classical music concerts, the celebration of the 85th birthday of the Ukrainian composer Valentyn Sylvestrov, the photo exhibition “War”, Ukrainian film screenings, music performances, public talks and more. The Bouquet Kyiv Stage Festival is a centrepiece of cultural life in Kyiv every summer and 2022 was no exception.
The Festival took place on a more limited scale than usual but with great resonance and beauty in the magnificent setting of the eleventh-century Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom (Svyata Sofya), a building which itself reflects Ukraine’s history and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This year the Festival not only continued to be celebrated in Kyiv but is taking place outside Ukraine for the first time, in Oxford from 28 September to 1 October.
The Bouquet Kyiv Stage Festival coming from Kyiv to Oxford on this occasion, takes place as a part of the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture devised jointly by the British Council and the Ukrainian Institute, giving voice to Ukrainian creatives and focusing on the changing needs and priorities of the Ukrainian cultural sector, and also opens the Ukrainian Culture Weeks 2022 initiative that was launched by Cherwell College Oxford, Oxford University Ukrainian Society, and Ukrainian Cultural Centre Dom Master Klass with the aim of supporting Ukrainian culture and heritage. Helen Clarke, Vice Principal of Cherwell College Oxford says:“During the most challenging period for Ukraine since its independence, Bouquet Kyiv Stage Festival offers opportunities to celebrate and honour Ukraine’s rich culture and heritage.