Maryna POROSHENKO: “In these hard times, it is important to show support and care”

Mystetsky Arsenal is going to turn into a children’s playground for a few days – on September 23-28. It will display various interesting intellectual programs, games, and entertainments. Waiting for the children are the renovated Laboratories of Art, Science, Innovations, and Finance, and a new, opened specially for the festival, Laboratory of Biology. In the latter, children will be able to examine all kinds of plants under a microscope. “This laboratory is important because we show that it is nature that gives us food and that not everything is delivered from a supermarket. This game is not only interesting for children, but it also teaches,” the laboratory volunteer Viktoria says. The national culture, art, and museum complex has also prepared the following projects for young visitors: “A Space of Art, Design, and Architecture for Children” from the Ya Gallery art center, lectures, master classes by the well-known and young artists Tiberii Silvashi, Mykola Malyshko, Oleksandr Babak, Vlada Ralko, Oleh Hryshchenko, and others. The Master Class house of education and culture advises parents and children to measure their command of English on a double-decker bus together with the school Oxford Class. The rallying action “Our Palms” will invite all the willing to vote for peace with a personally painted palm of the hand. The project’s idea belongs to Lita Akhmetova and the organization MYR. An interesting program for kids was organized by the Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. As part of the program of one of the most popular projects for children – Ukraine’s first children’s city of professions, Kids Will, – the festival will present the professions that allow kids to become adults for a time.

Parents and all the willing may take part in the program of art therapy and juvenile psychology aimed at helping children in crisis situations. There are also many other interesting things. The project was initiated and organized by the national culture, art and museum complex and the charitable foundation Mystetsky Arsenal. What drew the most rapt attention of children and adults at the festival’s opening was the art of sand animation. There were so many of those who whished to draw on glass with sand that they even had to stand in the line. They mostly drew emblems, patriotic slogans, and symbols of peace. The same themes were expressed in the children’s drawings which cover and liven up the monotonous color of the museum’s walls. Incidentally, when the festival is over, the children’s drawings will be sent to our soldiers in the counter-terrorism operation zone to warm their hearts as well. The festival was opened with a grandiose children’s flash mob “Everything Will Be OK” in support of peace and unity in this country to Sviatoslav Vakarchuk’s soundtrack of the same name. About 300 children aged 4 to 16 from various regions of Ukraine took part in this dancing composition. The show was staged by Vitalii POHOSKY. Maria, the daughter of the TV presenter Marichka Padalko, also took part in the flash mob. The mum was very much concerned about and supported her daughter. “Children are the only thing that distracts us: you look at them and forget the problems for a while. To be frank, I’ve felt I was a bad mother in the past six months, that is, a robot mother who relaxes very little. Great thanks to the organizers. In my view, parents needed this even more,” TV presenter Marichka PADALKO shares her impressions with The Day. “I think an incredible generation, brought up after such role models as Heavenly Sotnia and war heroes, is now growing – especially those who can see all this with their own eyes. I just feel fear for the government if it goes wrong later – it will be just swept away in a jiffy.” Ukraine’s first lady Maryna Poroshenko also joined the flash mob. Following this, she answered the questions of journalists and confessed that she felt like a student, for she had not been so much excited for a very long time. The charitable project “Arsenal of Good Deeds,” being carried out on Maryna Poroshenko’s initiative, invites those who are not indifferent to participate in the collection of warm clothes as part of the campaign “With a Warm Heart.” “It is important to show support and care in these hard times. This campaign is only beginning, and we expect many to respond. Many migrants left their belongings at home. They have nothing to wear and get warm, so we are trying to take care of this now. Every campaign is expanding. I think ours will also gather momentum. I want as many people as possible to join: I also invite Ukrainian business and various nonprofit organizations. It is our common trouble. And it is important that everybody should feel support. The state cares for safety so that the children who will go to school are in safe conditions, and we must support them on our part as mush as we can. As long as there are problems, we will be trying to solve them to the best of our ability,” Ms. Poroshenko said. So, if you visit the Arsenal in the next few days, do not forget to bring dome warm clothes, school appliances, books and toys for the children of those who have resettled from eastern Ukraine. By Natalia MARCHENKO