Colours and Melodies of Ukrainian Holidays

An Exhibition from the Private Collection of Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine and other Collectors

Winnipeg – Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre is pleased to announce the opening of Colours and Melodies of Ukrainian Holidays, an exhibition of rare cultural objects directly from Ukraine.

Organized by curator Lidia Lykhch of Kyiv, the exhibit consists of 112 cultural objects (58 from the private collection of Victor Yushchenko) put together into a show by Rodovid Gallery of Kyiv and the Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky National Museum of Lviv.

The exhibition was officially opened by Ihor Ostash, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada on  November 4th and will run until April 30, 2008.

Ukrainian Canadians have always placed great value on the preservation and development of their cultural heritage here in Canada. Ukrainians in Ukraine have not always had the same luxury. In reclaiming examples of national heritage lost or banned during years of Soviet rule, private collectors, such as Victor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine, and museum institutions in Ukraine are rediscovering cultural objects related to lost ritual and bringing them back to the people. The exhibition travelled the length and breadth of Ukraine in 2006 to great acclaim, creating an awareness of the value of cultural tradition.

Oseredok is the only institution in Canada that is hosting this exhibition. The artifacts include icons, textiles, ceramics, sculpture and other objects dating from the 18th to 20th centuries. An exhibition guidebook is available.