“Our Christmas”

“Our Christmas” is the name of a new creative project carried out under the aegis of the President of Ukraine (the idea belongs to Taras Chubai, the leader of the rock group Plach Yeremii; staged by Mykhailo Krupievsky). Back in 1999, the album “Our Christmas” with Taras Chubai was cut under the motto “We Are Ukrainians! These Are Our Traditions!” It was followed by the collection of UPA songs “Our Partisans” (several compositions from both CDs were performed during the concert).

The organizers aim at rallying Ukrainians round the sacred holiday of Christmas, reviving and actualizing national Christmas traditions and rites. It is planned as an annual festival consisting of the main show and a series of solo concerts by project participants. This year among the performers were the project originator, Taras Chubai, and his rock group, the original Pikardiiska Tertsia, orchestra Lviv Virtuosos (who performed on the first day), choir Dudaryk (second day), Oleksandr Ponomariov, Oleh Skrypka, and the guest star, world-famous guitarist Al Di Meola who did instrumental compositions together with the noted Ukrainian bandurist Roman Hrynkiv (previously they recorded the joint album “Winter Nights”).

Computer graphics added to the festive atmosphere, being displayed on three huge screens at the palace. Now and then whimsical patterns combined with colorful illustrations to books of tales published by A-BA-BA-HA-LA- MA-HA. The computer group obviously had a rich arsenal of interesting ideas dedicated to Christmas, including e-cards originating from the Diaspora and dating from the first years of independence, and were versed in ornamental culture.

The audience represented various age groups and was eager to hear Ukrainian music and carols. As usual, its younger part preferred Christmas concerts by the musician Oleh Skrypka and Yulia Oliinyk, CEO of the Tempora Publishers. The older (and better off) people enjoyed the Old New Year festivities organized by the Lviv community in Kyiv. But in the end they all gathered at the Sports Palace and the show had every hallmark of good organization and promotional support.

“It’s been a long time since I last heard such a virtuoso guitarist. And the bandura was fantastic. Roman Hrynkiv sets the tune and Di Meola develops the theme,” says Mykola Kulchynsky, director of the rock festival Mazepa Fest, adding, “what Taras Chubai did together with the Pikardiiska Tertsia and Lviv Virtuosos was modern classics. He makes excellent renditions to the lyrics of his father Hrytsko Chubai where music is heard between the lines. I wish this music were played by our radio stations and television channels, for we have long been looking forward to hearing our own music. Somehow the media exist separately with their substitute culture, overall superficiality, and lack of taste. You know, I didn’t see a single unsmiling face after the concert. People were smiling at each other. This is what full immersion in national culture is all about. It is so touching!”

Stage director Serhii Arkhypchuk: “Considering what they offered us on the central Ukrainian television channel for this winter holiday, the impression is that we are living in a strange country; it was so unprofessional, second- rate, and worst of all, alien to the Ukrainians’ inner world. Meanwhile, there were parades of market and puppet shows in Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil; interesting Christmas festivities in Khust, Uzhgorod, and Donetsk. Why didn’t they broadcast any of these live? And so ‘Our Christmas’ is convincing proof that Ukrainians can and want to respect things that are their own... If our television channels revised their information policies, our national memory would return more quickly.”