Charity. Ukraine

Sponsorship of Meridian Czernowitz Poetry Festival

Group DF owned by Mr. Dmitry Firtash has become the Sponsorship of Meridian Czernowitz Poetry Festival. In a relatively short period of time, the event is one of major cultural highlights not only in Ukraine but also across the whole of Europe. Every year, poets, writers, playwrights, artists, musicians, translators from more than 10 countries arrive to participate in Meridian Czernowitz.
 
Mr. Sviatoslav Pomerantsev, the Festival President stressed that the event helps elevate the cultural value of not only Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, but also of the Ukrainian state at large. “Our Festival purses a specific objective of returning Chernivtsi and Ukraine to the cultural map of Europe. Let’s work together towards returning Chernivtsi to the information and cultural space of Europe.”
 
The second festival bringing together guests from Ukraine, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Israel and France took place in Chernivtsi on September 2 – 4, 2011.
 
During three days, over 30 Festival sites scattered across the city offered its guests a variety of poetic readings, discussions and lectures, as well as alternative and avant-garde musical and poetry performances and video-installations. An exhibition of kinetic sculptures “Kinetic Lyrics” became another remarkable feature of the Festival.
 
The forum also offered an opportunity to present two joint Ukrainian-European publishing projects and a new novel by one of Ukraine’s most popular writers Yuriy Andrukhovych “The Lexicon of Intimate Cities” prepared for publication with participation of Meridian Czernowitz.
 
In addition to Group DF, other co-organizers of the Festival included the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ukraine, Chernivtsi City Council, Embassies of participating countries. Also, organizational support was provided by the German Cultural Center “Goethe-Institute”, the Polish Institute and a number of other organizations and foundations.
 
The third Meridian Czernowitz again sponsored by Group DF took place on September 6 – 9, 2012  in three cities: Chernivtsi, Khotyn and Kamyanets-Podilsky. The Festival featured an impressive cast of poets, musicians, translators coming from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Israel, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, Denmark, the UK and the US. The organizers were proud to present such eminent writers as Arthur Becker (Germany), Yuriy Andrukhovych (Ukraine), Tomasz Różycki (Poland), Oksana Zabuzhko (Ukraine), Daniel Galai (Israel), Eugen Bunary (Romania) and many others.
 
The Meridian Czernowitz III program included a variety of literary readings, lectures, discussions, books presentations, poetic promenades, musical and poetic gatherings and wine-cigar-and-poetry nights, as well as theatrical and musical performances.
 
Sviatoslav Pomerantsev expressed his appreciation to all the partners who helped make it happen. “I want to thank everyone, and especially – Mr. Firtash’s Group DF. Dmitry Firtash has been contributing immensely into Ukrainian culture development. I am aware of his Ukrainian Catholic University Support Project, the Ukrainian Studies Program at Cambridge. I think it is an example that should be followed by many others.”