This weekend Razom hosted two cultural events in NYC – a #StandWithUkraine Community Concert and a Private Art Tour at Zimmerli. Somebody may ask – is this time for culture? We believe – yes. For years, Razom Culture has been using cultural diplomacy and promoting unique Ukrainian traditions and customs, music, literature and art in the US and the world. These days, we also turn to Ukrainian culture for support and encouragement. Besides all proceeds from both events certainly go toward the Razom Emergency Response.
After the rally on Saturday, the Ukrainian community and all those who have been working to support Ukraine these difficult past couple of weeks were welcomed at the Ukrainian National Home in the Ukrainian Village for a Stand With Ukraine Community Concert.
Volunteers have been working tirelessly on various important initiatives but we needed to be reminded of our strength and resoluteness to keep going. Music, the international language, is the perfect way to do this. Big thanks to Iryna Kit for crafting a beautiful music program which included Ukrainian Village Voices, Zisl Slepovitch Trio, and Fima Chupakhin Jazz Quartet. The music soothed our aching hearts and gave us the zest to continue helping Ukraine. We are grateful to the great friends of the Ukrainian community Veselka, Two Boots Pizza, and Baczynsky East Village Meat Market Inc. for providing the food to sustain and nurture the volunteers. Thank you to everyone who came out for Ukraine and shared smiles, hugs, and words of encouragement. Together we collected about $8000 from the tickets purchases and donations made during the concert, all while enjoying Ukrainian creative genius. It was a wonderful evening amidst chaos, and the goal was always to remind ourselves of the amazing support Ukraine has all over the world and to give us the courage to continue fighting for peace, truth, and freedom.
Photos by AJ Stetson, Olena Blednova, and Alexei Zagdansky
And the very next day, on Sunday, Razom in collaboration with the Zimmerli Art Museum decided to keep the exclusive curator-led tour of Ukrainian art that was arranged a while ago. The exhibition is dedicated to the period of perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union that radically transformed the art scene of Kyiv. It launched Ukrainian contemporary art as a truly global phenomenon and changed the perception of Kyiv from a backwater province into a new art capital, preparing the city for its new role as the emerging state’s capital. The tour was led by Olena Martynyuk, PhD, a Guest Research Curator of the show and a postdoctoral fellow in Ukrainian Studies at the Harriman Institute of Columbia University. Initially, the proceeds from the tickets were planned to send toward further development of programs and exhibitions dedicated to Ukrainian art. But a quick decision was made that all proceeds of $3400 would also go toward the Emergency Response, where are needed the most right now.
Thus, while learning more about and enjoying Ukrainian music and art, we have collected over $11,000, which means more tactical medical supplies will be delivered to Ukraine and help save lives of brave Ukrainians.
Learn more about Razom Emergency Response and our latest updates.