Where to go in April and what to see: the most interesting cultural events of the month

The schedule of events for April is full of premieres and festivals. UP.Kultura pays attention to the most interesting events Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa and Dnipro. Including:

• two theatrical premieres of British classics from top directors Davyd Petrosyan and Ivan Uryvskyi;
• exhibition of the father of Ukrainian modernism and the author of the trident coat of arms Vasyl Krychevskyi;
• queer film festival;
• book fair at VDNG;
• the long-awaited film premiere from the film director Iryna Cilyk and writer Artem Chech.

Exhibitions

“Ornamental fugues“ Vasyl Krychevskyi

Where and when: Lviv, Municipal Art Center, until April 12

Kharkiv publisher Oleksandr Savchuk presents the hidden side of the art of the author of the coat of arms of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the founder of Ukrainian architectural modernism Vasyl Krychevskyi – his ornaments. The exhibition features a visual album of 194 patterns, canvas panels and wooden postcards. Savchuk hopes that the publication of Krychevsky’s ornamental heritage will bring back the Ukrainian style to our design and architecture.

Also in Lviv in Galleries “Noise” a large exhibition of a Ukrainian-American graphic artist and sculptor is underway Yakov Hnizdovskyi. And in the Museum “Territory of Terror” show photos from the front of the fallen poet and soldier Maksym “Dali” Kryvtsov.

“Heating season“ Vasi Dmytryk

Where and when: Odesa National Art Museum, until April 21

Dmytryk is already practically a resident at the ONHM – this is his second exhibition in this museum for the second year in a row. At the previous one, he surprised visitors with the image of a hanging sculpture of a warrior “Copper Shroud” and created digital collages from photographs of corpses of Russian soldiers, on which he tried on carnival masks. Today, Vasya Dmytryk used nails from his workshop and an electromagnetic device that moves them along the surface of the sheets. Iron leaves mechanical traces on paper and shows the viewer only the process and consequences of the machine without explaining how this mechanism works.

“Recognition practices. Defloration“

Where and when: Kyiv, Small Gallery of the Art Arsenal, until April 28

“Defloration” is the first part of the cycle of the project on the study of key exhibitions of the 1990s “Practice of Recognition”. The exhibition of the same name was held for the first time in 1990 at the Lenin Social and Cultural Center in Lviv and immediately became a phenomenon among artists. Then artists Ihor Shuliev, Platon Silvestrov, Oleksandr Zamkovskyi and Andrii Sagaidakivskyi worked on the transformation of the ideological space of the Lenin Museum into an informal gallery.

In the updated version of Mystkini Olya Yeremeyeva, Eva Kafidova, Nastasiya Leliuk and Maria Matyashova work with archival materials and add a modern female perspective to the legendary exhibition. “Defloration” is here reflected as “permanent love” and “infinity”.

“Rika screamed, howled like a wounded animal“

Where and when: Dnipro, Center for Contemporary Culture (DCCC), from April 4 to June 30

The exhibition was presented for the first time as part of the 5th Kyiv Biennale at the Dovzhenko Center as a reaction to the undermining of the Kakhovskaya HPP by the Russians. The exposition attempts to explore the history of the subjugation of the Dnipro River, which was highlighted in cinema and art by Dzyga Vertov, Oleksandr Dovzhenko and others.

Now the project is touring Ukraine and first of all went to the city from which the rapids of the river rise – to the Dnipro. Especially the issue of industrialization and use of natural resources became relevant after the impact on hydroelectric structures and the dam of the Dnipro HPP.

And don’t forget that in Kharkiv in Yermilov Center opened exhibition “Pavel Makov. Fountain of Attrition 1994 – 2024“. On it, the artist, who lives and works in Kharkiv despite everything, will tell about the path of this work from its creation to the 59th Venice Biennale.

Theater, opera, classical music

“When wormwood bloomsRainer Baer

Where and when: Lviv, Les Kurbas Theater, April 3

German dancer Rainer Behrwho played himself in Pedro Almadovar’s film “Talk to Her”, staged a visual performance together with the people of Lviv. He described the genre of the production as “you have to dance life”. And tries to find an opportunity to talk about healing from despair and hopelessness through movement, not words.

“Atomic mermaid“

Where and when: Lviv Puppet Theater, April 25

This is a premiere for teenagers. But there is a mark on it 16+. The play will try to tell about normal life in not so normal conditions, namely during the war. This is exactly the moment when people can prepare for their own funeral, wedding or meeting with the “atomic mermaid” in their everyday affairs.

Music by young Lviv composers

Where and when: Lviv Organ Hall, April 6

“The works that will be played at this concert are music at the cutting edge of time. It is a reflection of the present and a temporary escape into a parallel reality, it is a chronicle of war intertwined with memories from peaceful life and dreams of victory“, this is how the Organ Hall tells about a concert of works by young Lviv composers, written during the full-scale invasion.

“California hotel“

Where and when: Kharkiv, Art Area DK, April 11

Yes, plays continue to be staged in Kharkiv. This time municipal Shevchenko Theater presents two tragicomic mini-plays about elderly married couples, each of which has its own interesting story. Gradually, through comic situations, the viewer gets to know the feelings that the characters have for each other.

“Maria Stewart“

Where and when: Kyiv, Ivan Franko Theater, April 24

Fresh Shevchenko Laureate Ivan Uryvskyi puts on a play about the life of the last Catholic queen of Scotland. The drama was created by the German playwright and writer Friedrich Schiller based on documentary materials. However, the Franka Theater is convinced that this story is not a reconstruction of the events of the past in a distant country, but is timeless and tells about us and our society.about the price of freedom, the eternal conflict between “reason” and “emotions”, the power of influence of public opinion on human life”.

“Othello“

Where and when: Kyiv, Lesya Ukrainka Theater, April 27

Literally next door to the Franko Theater, in the former “Russian drama” theater, world classics originating from the British Isles are also staged. The famous drama of William Shakespeare is taken Davyd Petrosyan. Previously, the classics in his performance were already successful – this was “Process” according to Kafka in the Podil Theater and “Visit” by Friedrich Dürrenmatt at the Frank Theater.

Suono Eterno

Where and when: Kyiv, Khanenko Museum, April 7

Young opera singer Diana Zyabchenko will become the soloist of an evening of Italian music in the Kyiv museum. The event will feature works by Vivaldi, Pergolesi and Rossini, and the vocal parts will recreate the Baroque era, the golden age of Belcanto opera.

“friends“

Where and when: Kyiv, Kyiv Opera, April 19

Kyiv Modern Ballet Theater of Modern Choreography April 19 will present the premiere ballet “friends“ to the music of the Latvian composer Peteris Vasks. Accompanied by a cello concerto, the four main characters experience different moments of life – love, friendship, anger, jealousy and hope.

Ukrainian original music

Where and when: Kyiv, National Philharmonic of Ukraine, throughout April

This month, the Metropolitan Philharmonic is generous with premieres. April 6 and 7 the project will take place here “Ukrainian electroacoustic measurement“about modern Ukrainian sound. April 9 Kyiv Camerata will play a concert “This is what my home sounds like“, April 21 will take place concert the composer Svyatoslava Lunyova within the framework of the “Modern and Timeless” project.

April 23 on the concert “04/23/1968: Reconstruction” will play music based on the works of Lyatoshynskyi, Meitus and others. Ancient music group “Khoreya Kozatska” April 29 will perform a concert dedicated to the defenders of Ukraine entitled “Ukraine has already risen“.

Cinema and festivals

“We, our pets and war”

Rental start date: April 4

A documentary will be released in April “We, our pets and war” from blogger Anton Ptushkin. The tape tells about the animals that suffered in one way or another from the full-scale invasion, as well as about the volunteers and caring Ukrainians who saved them.

“With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, many Ukrainians left their homes to save their lives. Often people fled without having time to take the most necessary things, but together with their pets. Someone was sure that he was going away for a few days, so he left the animals at home. Dogs on chains, cats locked in empty apartments and animals from zoos locked in secure cages. They all wanted to live and needed people’s help. And caring people responded“, says the description of the film.

“Me and Felix”

Rental start date: April 11

Tape by a Ukrainian director Iryna Cilyk is finally released in Ukrainian cinemas. This is the director’s full-length artistic debut. She received the Shevchenko Prize and numerous awards at international film festivals for her documentary film “The Earth is Blue, Like an Orange”.

“Me and Felix” was filmed based on the script and novel Artem Chech “Who are you”, which won the “BBC Book of the Year” award in 2021. It tells about our 90s, in which the main character, the boy Timofey, grows up, who has to spend a lot of time with Felix, a veteran of the Afghan war. The charismatic Ukrainian poet and writer Yuriy Izdryk starred as a veteran.

“Krashanka”

Rental start date: April 25

The family comedy “Krashanka” about a family that gathers together for the holidays for the first time in a long time will appear in cinemas. “Someone longs for family comfort, someone finally finds time to understand himself, but the main Zabiaka is building a rocket to launch it to Moscow by Easter. Modern challenges require creative solutions – will Ivan be able to accomplish what he planned?” – says the abstract. Starring Stanislav Boklan, Olesya Zhurakivska, Darya Legeyda and Volodymyr Gladky.

Sunny Bunny Festival

Where and when: Kyiv, “Zhovten” cinema

WITH April 19 to 26, 2024 the 2nd SUNNY BUNNY LGBTQIA+ film festival will take place. Previously, the project was part of the international film festival “Youth”, but from 2023 it became a separate event. This year, the team offers free tickets for military personnel, the program should be announced later.

“Book country“

Where and when: Kyiv, VDNG, from April 25 to 28

Another festival, although not related to cinema, will be held in Kyiv at VDNG with April 25 to 28. “Bookland” will present the largest Ukrainian publishing houses, will present performances by writers, literary critics and bloggers. I offer the visitors lectures on psychology, discussions with representatives of the publishing business, and for the unusual – a show “reader’s diary” with comedian and volunteer Vasyl Baidak, a lecture on Princess Diana of Wales and a book ball. In general, the fair offers an educational space for children and adults, an entertainment space for board games and a charity stand. By the way, entry to the event is free.