Credit: Geoff Tompson, Chronicle.lu
On Wednesday 3 June 2026, the 4th edition of the UA Days cultural festival opened at Ciné Utopia in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg.
Linked directly with the outdoor art exhibition on the railings outside the Czech embassy in Luxembourg (located across the Glacis carpark from the cinema), featuring works of art by children at the Aza Nizi Maza underground art studio in Kharkiv, the opening event featured the world premier of the 90-minute documentary film "The Underground Garden”.
Held in the 96-seat screening room #3, the evening was introduced by Inna Yaremenko, Vice-President of LUkraine Asbl. She explained that UA Days 2026 aims to highlight a unique Ukrainian culture, with five events being organised over next two weeks under the theme "Art Under Fire" which she described as being "very special" as it is dedicated to Ukrainian artists remaining in Ukraine.
She referenced the outdoor art exhibition at the Czech embassy opened earlier today featuring paintings by children made underground in Kharkiv which she described as being almost destroyed: she said that the children display resilience and an amazing strength of character. She thanked the Czech Republic for support and solidarity by hosting the exhibition.
She introduced the event's honoured guest from Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, Anna Kovalenko, a 17-year-old artist at the studio in question, who arrived in Luxembourg on Sunday with her mother after what Inna Yaremenko described as a difficult trip. She described Anna as a "painter, musician and writer, representing hope that light will prevail over darkness, that good will prevail over evil, despite daily horrible attacks on our cities, and hope that our next generation will grow up in freedom”.
Anna spoke in fluent English, and confirmed that she is studying architecture at college, and is also a multidisciplinary artist. She described the studio as a place for children (aged 4-17 years-old) to express themselves in different artistic formats and participate in different collaborative projects.
The screening of "The Underground Garden" was the film's world premier; it is a 90-minute documentary directed by Yulian Ulybin, in Ukrainian with EN sub-titles about an underground art studio for children, some with special needs, in Kharkiv in Eastern Ukraine. One of the studio's most significant works was created in 2022 in the Kharkiv metro, where families were sheltering during intense shelling.
At the centre of the film are children who continue to draw, imagine and create while living under constant shelling. Their work reflects a reality in which art is not separate from war, but continues within it, preserving presence, sustaining continuity and resisting erasure.
The documentary film showed how the children treat it as a sanctuary as well as a space where they can express themselves; it also told of the group travelling to Berlin and Prague where their artwork was exhibited underground, in metro stations, and some of the challenges they faced on that journey.
The screening was followed by a Q&A with the producer, Oleksiy Makukhin and Anna Kovalenko, moderated by Nicolas Zharov, President of LUkraine.
Oleksiy Makukhin explained that the documentary film is a tale of children learning to become themselves, set in art during war and showing that everyone can be an artist. He explained that he was glad to meet Mykola Kolomiets, the artist who runs the Aza Nizi Maza Studio in Kharkiv. He talked about the studio being a place where children can express themselves through art, yet not be taught formally.
Anna Kovalenko explained that the studio is a place where the children can enjoy themselves and be happy, but separate themselves from the world outside where life is difficult.
For further information on UA Days 2026, see https://chronicle.lu/category/things-to-see-do/60994-4th-ua-days-festival-focuses-on-culture-resilience-in-luxembourg and https://uadays.lu/.
ED
(Caption: The outdoor art exhibition at the Czech embassy in Luxembourg City; Credit: Chronicle.lu)
