Festival “Northern Star – 2022”

On 6 November, the 10th International Arts Festival “Northern Star – 2022” took place at the Kaja Cultural Centre in Tallinn. It has been organised for almost 20 years by the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia.

The event takes place in every even-numbered year, i.e. once every two years. This year’s festival was special. First, it was long awaited, as the pandemic prevented it from taking place in 2020; second, the full-scale war in Ukraine and the many people forced to flee to Estonia because of Russian aggression made the festival vivid and full of new names and real talent! 

According to AUOE Chairman Vladimir Palamar, the arts festival is a stage for the creative achievements of all Ukrainians living in Estonia. It is an opportunity to remind one another that we are a great, talented nation that does not lose its cultural traditions and preserves its identity, no matter where on the globe it is. “We are endlessly happy that we can unite talented Ukrainians in Estonia and that during this terrible tragedy for the entire Ukrainian people our compatriots have the opportunity to realise their creative talents far from home. Today our performers and artists are a powerful army fighting the enemy on the cultural front and inspiring the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to victory!” he said.      

Greetings to the festival participants were delivered by the Association’s Deputy Chair Liubov Laur, First Secretary of the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia Leonid Tretiak and Adviser at the Estonian Ministry of Culture Artjom Tepljuk.

While past festivals mostly featured ensembles and soloists representing the Association’s member societies, this year a significant number of performers came from different parts of Ukraine! Our talented compatriots who left their homeland in tragic circumstances have found a place for their creativity in Estonia.  

Among those who created the festival atmosphere were Liliia Palinkash from Zaporizhzhia, Tetiana Tokarieva, Tetiana Kolii and Kateryna Volkodav from Kharkiv, the Kovalevskyi family from Mariupol – Petro and Sofiia, the host of the concert Yevhen Kravets from Mariupol, and Mariia Rudyk from Uman in the Cherkasy region, organiser of a folk-art exhibition.   

Odesa Conservatory graduate Liliia Palinkash showed an example of the Ukrainian vocal school, where expressiveness and dynamics of sound play the most important role. 

In her three months in Estonia, Tetiana Tokarieva from Kharkiv has organised a series of concerts for local Estonians and newly arrived compatriots in Viljandi and Haapsalu. 

Musician Petro Kovalevskyi has travelled half the world with his guitar, and his eldest daughter Sofiia, a pianist with many international awards, is now studying at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Her song “SOUL”, dedicated to the hard times of her home city of Mariupol, simply captivated the festival guests. 

The heartfelt performance of patriotic songs by the family duo of Tetiana Kolii and Kateryna Volkodav, originally from Kharkiv and now in Ventspils, Latvia, drew stormy applause and the sincere support of the whole cultural centre. 

Of course, the festival would not have been complete without its regular participants:  

• the dance ensemble KOLOR, laureate of international and national competitions and winner of the just-concluded Baltic festival BALT PRIX, led by the well-known Estonian choreographer Nina Hets. For more than 20 years she has been the chief director and stager of the festival and gala concerts supported by our Association.
• Alona Duminika, director of the church choir “Oranta”.
• Larysa Kupchynska, head of the renowned Ukrainian ensemble “Oksamyt”, who in Estonia leads the authentic singing group “Rodovid”.
• Liudmyla Odes, a pianist who has supported all the Association’s creative projects for many years.
• Yana Balakina, vocalist and teacher, and the pupils of her vocal studio “Karamel”.
• The folk group “Zhurba” led by Volodymyr Leibiuk.

The festival “Northern Star 2022” was brightly adorned with a folk-art exhibition organised by a true enthusiast, Mariia Rudyk from Uman, who has now found refuge with her daughter in Otepää. Festival guests could enjoy real gems of Ukrainian art in embroidered shirts and other items.   

The Association of Ukrainian Organisations is deeply grateful to all the ensembles that took part in “Northern Star – 2022” and to everyone who helped organise and run it – in particular to our Deputy Chair Liubov Laur, who has looked after the organisation of this event for many years, and to concert manager Yevhen Novokhatnii, thanks to whose efforts Estonia saw and heard bright new ensembles.   

We all believe in our victory and hope that by the next festival, in 2024, Ukraine will be free and independent!