Cultural and humanitarian cooperation
In Switzerland, cultural and artistic events are regularly held with the participation of Ukrainian cultural figures, in particular, concert tours of famous art groups, art and photo exhibitions of Ukrainian artists, and performances of Ukrainian musicians at prestigious international competitions. Representatives of domestic cinema participate in various Swiss film festivals. Ukrainian writers hold creative evenings for the local public, and artists hold exhibitions of their works. The Ukrainian theme is increasingly heard in the cultural environment of Switzerland.
In particular, in January 2023, the opening of the Ukrainian-Swiss Days of Culture in Ticino took place in Lugano. During two weeks, more than 120 exhibits of Ukrainian and Swiss works were presented at the exhibition. The Lviv Philharmonic, the Swiss Academy of Music, the Lugano Jazz Quartet, provided musical accompaniment the bands "Trembita of Ukraine" and "Roots of Switzerland".
In support of Ukraine, charity concerts and evenings are held with the participation of Ukrainian and Swiss talents, in particular, concerts of the ensemble of P. Virskyi, O. Botvinov, the band Druga Rika, the band Dakhabrakha, as well as various sports competitions of the national teams of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian film "Save Me" directed by M. Dubrovina took part in the selection of the Global Road Safety Film Festival in Geneva and won the Grand Prix (February 2022). The beginning of full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine prevented the director from receiving the award, so they had the opportunity to congratulate M. Dubrovina and her team with an award at the Embassy of Ukraine only a year later.
On February 24, 2023, to the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the population of all cantons of Switzerland held events of memory and solidarity. In the cities of Bern, Zurich, Winterthur, Basel, Lenzburg, Geneva, Lausanne, Luzerne, Fribourg, and others, solidarity marches, demonstrations, charity concerts, unfurling of the Ukrainian flag, lighting of memorial candles took place. The Embassy of Ukraine and representatives of "Bereznitsky Art Foundation" opened the photo exhibition "Ukrainian Guernica" in Bern. Representatives of the government, parliament, federal and local authorities, the diplomatic corps, business, the educational and scientific community, and the media attended the opening.
From April 18 to 21, a creative tour of S. Zhadan took place in the cities of Switzerland. The writer's literary evenings took place in Basel, Luzerne, Zurich and Lenzburg.
On April 26-27, a two-day cultural conference "Revival of culture - part of the reconstruction of Ukraine" was held in Bern, dedicated to Ukrainian cultural heritage and art. The event brought together representatives of the cultural sphere of our country, Switzerland, EU countries and international organizations. The Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, O.Tkachenko, sent a message to help strengthen our cultural front and preserve our heritage. Odesa cultural institutions, in particular, the Odesa National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, the Municipal Theater, the Museum of Modern Art and many others, presented their projects here.
At the Bern Conservatory, the Legato Bern-Odesa union, which supports young musical talents from Ukraine, continues its long-term activities.