A premiere about the 99 days of 1991: Berlin holds a Ukrainian week for the 35th anniversary of Independence

Berlin hosts a Week of Ukrainian Culture and History from 24 to 28 August, dedicated to the 35th anniversary of Independence. The events take place at Unity Hub Berlin; entry is free with prior registration.

The programme was published by Unity Hub Berlin itself.

The week opens on 24 August, on Independence Day itself: at 16:00 there is an exhibition of works by Maryna Paliy and a workshop on making a protective doll.

A song, a conversation and a premiere

On 25 August at 17:00 comes an evening of Ukrainian song with the choir Lastivochky — a Berlin-based Ukrainian choir performing folk, Cossack and classical pieces. On 27 August, young people and experts gather for an open discussion: "After the war: what will the Ukraine of the future be?"

The closing day is 28 August: an art workshop inspired by Ukrainian regional painting traditions, and the premiere of "The Distance to Independence", an investigative historical drama about the 99 decisive days of 1991.

Berlin as a Ukrainian stage

The venue is Unity Hub Berlin at Jägerstraße 54. This is already the second notable Ukrainian cultural initiative in the city this month: in September the same city hosts its first bandura festival.

What they share is that neither is built on nostalgia. Instead of an evening of reminiscence there is an exhibition, a discussion about the country's future and a film premiere about how the decisions of 1991 were actually taken. Independence is spoken of here as work, not as a date in a calendar.

As reported earlier by ONE//FM, Berlin hosts its first bandura festival in September — with a DJ set that takes the instrument straight onto the dancefloor.