Esch-sur-Alzette to Host Ukrainian Days Festival

The City of Esch-sur-Alzette and LUkraine asbl have announced that the Ukrainian Days cultural festival will take place in the Grand Duchy's second biggest city from Monday 9 to Friday 20 October 2023.

 

After a successful first edition in and around Luxembourg City in June 2023, the Ukrainian Days (UA Days) are set to make an appearance in Esch-sur-Alzette this month. The UA Days project, initiated by LUkraine asbl, aims to introduce and promote various aspects of Ukrainian art, culture, history and creative industries. The upcoming festival is co-hosted by LUkraine asbl and the City of Esch-sur-Alzette.

 

This edition of UA Days marks the first anniversary of the twinning of Esch-sur-Alzette with the Ukrainian city of Stryi (Lviv region). As the organisers explained, it symbolises the unity and solidarity of both countries, offering an opportunity to explore and appreciate the richness of Ukrainian culture while fostering cultural exchange between Luxembourg and Ukraine.

 

"Such a twinning is first and foremost a symbolic decision, a symbol of support for the Ukrainians. It is also a call to other cities and Luxembourg municipalities to embark on such twinning," stated Georges Mischo, Mayor of Esch-sur-Alzette, during a press conference announcing the festival. "Hosting Ukrainian Days in Esch demonstrates our city's support for our sister city and the people of Ukraine. This is the premiere festival of Ukrainian culture in Esch that is about to become an annual event."

 

Inna Yaremenko, Vice President of LUkraine, stressed that despite Ukrainian culture being at the centre of the world's attention and going through its renaissance, Russian invaders continue to commit cultural genocide. She added that since 24 February 2022, 1,624 cultural infrastructure objects in Ukraine have been damaged (excluding cultural heritage monuments). Almost a third (591) of them have been completely destroyed. In total, 769 cultural clubs, 610 libraries, 93 museums and galleries, 30 theatres and philharmonic halls, as well as 122 art education institutions, have been damaged, she said, adding that thousands of artworks and historical artifacts have been stolen. The total amount of damage to Ukraine's cultural sector is estimated at about $7 billion. "Culture has always been a powerful tool for nations to express themselves during challenging times. We are grateful to the Esch-sur-Alzette City Council and Mr Mischo not only for being a reliable partner for our organisation and standing with Ukraine but also for giving Ukrainians the opportunity to speak out and ensuring that their voices are heard," said Inna.

 

The first UA Days in Esch-sur-Alzette will focus on contemporary Ukrainian art and how it expresses current events. All money raised during the events will be donated to LUkraine's projects.

 

Further information, including programme details, is available on the UA Days website https://uadays.lu/.