Спілка жінок Херсонщини

Magnificent, fairylike and genuinely popular fest “Ivana Kupala”, organized by Kherson Women Union with the support of Ievhen Ryshchuk’s Fund, has gathered more than 4 thousand quests in the favorite haunt – the equestrian club “Grand Prix”.

This year the holiday’s table of events was rich for mystic and sacred peculiarities and it amazed the guests from different corners of Ukraine with antiquities sensitivity, exquisite flair, wisdom of experiencing, entertainments and arty-crafty master-classes, rampageous test-drive and the beauty-contest “Kupalska Mavka” finale!

The guests of the charming fest “Ivana Kupala” were traditionally welcomed in a hospitable manner by the equestrian club “Grand Prix”, the country retreat for the whole family.

And also traditionally, the fest was performed with a charitable purpose: all funds that were raised during it (and this is 137,000 uah) will be aimed at the organization of free of charge hematomancy for oncological diseases for girls and women from Kherson countryside, remote villages and settlements, small towns and regional centers from 18 years old and also preventive examination of children from 0 up to 18 years!

The holiday was unveiled by Head of Kherson Oblast State Administration Andrii Hordieiev, the founder of the Charity Fund Ievhen Ryshchuk and Head of Kherson Women Union Iryna Nikolaieva.

The peculiarity of the family fest became completely unique locations, provided by the MAIN partners of the event. Thus, the family of Toyota Center Kherson “Auto-Plaza” prepared the rampageous test-drive for the guests. Having registered, everyone interested had the possibility to try out the force of metal horses of TOYOTA breed along the sandy space of Oleshky forest. Test-drive was held from 03:00 p.m. up to 08:00 p.m.

As for junior guests of the master classes from Children’s Creative Studion “Pisochnyi Ostriv” (“Sandy Island”), they could try their hands in color sand drawing and creation of original magnets! The studio’s masters had so many appraisers of their creativity!

The diversity of children’s master-classes, games and developmental classes for juniors at “Ivana Kupala” holiday was also prepared by teachers from School of New Children “New School” by Aliona Kedrovska.

For mighty and strong men Kherson Branch of National Olympic Committee of Ukraine prepared entertainments and games “Cossack Force”: arm-wrestling, strength rivalries, tug-of-war and lots of favored entertainments in which not only men, but tender women and, of course, children took part!

Sport is health, health is wealth that should be taken care of all the time! Therapeutists and pediatricians from Medical Center “Taurt Medical” were safeguarding “Ivana Kupala” guests’ wellness the whole day. By the way, due to assistance and support of “Taurt Medical”, the charitable purpose of “Ivana Kupala” fest will be implemented.

The icing on the cake of the festival became the beauty-contest “Kupalska Mavka” 2018 finale, that has been held since the beginning of June. And mainly on 7 July, during “Ivana Kupala” holiday, each guest could vote for the finalist and decide who would become the winner of it. The real Kupalska crown and festival’s Miss Beauty award were given to charming Zhanna Kukharenko.

For the winner of the beauty contest “Kupalska Mavka”, who, by the way, became the owner of the special nomination from OMG Kherson concept, the organizers and the partners prepared, as they had promised, the whole bunch of presents – individual image selection from fashion designer – stylist Kateryna Savchenko (fashion studio “Kate’s Lab”), high-tony make-up from Educational Center of Iryna Petrenko “Idealna Krasa” (“Ideal Beauty”), and also gift certificates from partners – Medical Center “Taurt Medical”, tourist agency “Coral Travel”. Other participants also received presents from Toyota Center Kherson “Auto-Plaza”, Kherson Women Union and Ievhen Ryshchuk’s Fund, and also tourist agency “Poiehali s nami” (“Let’s go with us”) and partners.

Only on 7 July everyone interested could become the hero of real photo fairy tale “Mavka” by projecting oneself into a character of Black or White Mavka. The photo session in the picturesque location was performed by photo-artist Natali Timanova. She was inspired by same-name fairy-tale of the writer Lana Yasynska.

For the first time on “Ivana Kupala” holiday, Kherson Regional Studies Museum presented ethnographic location. And though it was working not for a long time (rain became the obstacle), the fest’s guests had the possibility to learn more about Ukrainian folk costume and try it on becoming Kherson inhabitant of the end of XIX – the beginning of XX century!

Masterchefs of café-bar “Bochka”, restaurant “Chopper” and restaurant “Klukva” treated the guests with delicious and fresh meals of chow wagon: tasty-smelling shashlik, grilled vegetables, grilled ribs, lulah kebab and khashlama, lavash and sausages, and, of course, field-prepared porridge! It was delicious!

Higher than the sky? Nope, closer to the clouds! Hot-air balloon rise started at 07:30 p.m., it was a traditional present to all the guests from festival’s partners. Kherson forks, adults and juniors couldn’t keep down, as it’s a rare possibility!

The Alley of Craftswomen was also working at holiday. Unique handmade articles – green cosmetics, rag-dolls, dolls-amulet, ornaments, knitted toys, articles made from beads and wood, wreaths, original hair ornaments and accessories – were prepared with love and open-heartedly by craftswomen from all parts of Kherson and Kherson Oblast – Hanna Gladchenko, Svitlana Murashova, Galyna Koval, Liubov Starkova, Tetiana Kryvenok, Larysa Gaidai, Kateryna Kremska, Olga Genkulova, Ievhenia Nedelevych, Anna Levinson, Galyna Kalyn, Natalia Kovaliova. There were organized master-classes on making souvenirs and art-therapy along the alley. The craftswoman Tetiana Kryvenok suggested hand-made baby-carriers to modern and active mothers. By the way, 5% of the cost of sold baby-carriers will be transferred to the charity fund for the trips of orphaned children.

Masters and specialists of Psychology studio SOUL PLACE suggested master-classes on rag-dolls making, drawing on the stone, creation of amulets and mastering of the own body to everyone interested among the guests of “Ivana Kupala” holiday.

Stylish holiday partner is the network of French beauty-parlors Frederic Moreno. Masters from the parlor were making nice hair dressings and hairdos with braids for girls, teen-agers, women and elderly women – to everyone from baby to adult.

“Ivana Kupala” 2018 holiday was rich for mystic and sacred rites. Zone of sacred knowledge was presented by a Numerologist Natalia Stoliarova and a Psychologist Inessa Sambros. Young girls and women joined the queue to tell fortune for something good and dearest, to practice rune sorcery, fortune cooky and stone fortune-telling together with Natalia Kotliuba and Natalia Diomina. Sure! As every fortune-telling was for good!

Top-selling location was a photo location – a torch town, a wedding arch and even a door-way to a new life. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to take a special picture in unique photozones, created by craftswomen from Fabric of Original Presents “Design”.

And the wedding arch was of great service! As Kherson (body of) Justice joined the hearts during Kupala Night! Everything was possible during “Kupala Night” – even to become witnesses of four weddings, a vivid outside ceremony in Ukrainian style and ceremonial hand delivery of Certificates of Marriage to newlyweds.

The most favored location by the children was face painting. The artists Anna Ignatenko, Karolina Kontiushova and Viktoria Mukhina have been working diligently, not leaving paints and brushes, for 4 hours for them.

There was a real eco ward from the ecology movement “Let’s do it, Ukraine” for the first time on “Ivana Kupala” holiday, introducing new standards of environmentally sensitive activities. The activists of the eco ward performed explanatory talks on correct waste sorting and kept a close eye on good housekeeping of the holiday.

Creative teams from different parts of Kherson and Kherson Oblast took part in the concert program of the event: the folk amateur collective “Verbychenka” , vil. Pishchanivka (art director is Kateryna Zemliana); the vocal ensemble “Rozmay” of Bekhtery SBK (director is Serhii Shvets); the folk performance dance ensemble “Zhyvtchiki” of Kalanchak Regional Center of Creativity for Children and Youth of Kherson Oblast, (directors are Olena and Olga Shyan); the folk vocal ensemble “Cantabile” of CE “Oleshkivskyi Regional Cultural and Entertainment Center named after T.G. Shevchenko” (director is Oksana Slyvkanych); the vocal ensemble “Sagivchanka” of Sagivskyi Community Center (director is Mykhailo Bilyi); the amateur ensemble of folk song “Beregynya” of Kherson Regional Cultural Center (director is Kateryna Logvynovska). All hearts were won by breathtaking choreographic performance of Children’s Studio “HappyKids” with runway walk in charming Ukrainian clothes.

The best photographers of Kherson were working the whole day at the event: Natali Timanova, Oksana Boieva, Maryna Burak, Alina Mazurenko, Dmytro Shcherbyna, Tetiana Kondratieva, Kateryna Artemenko, Olga Chornozub.

Photos can be seen and downloaded at the following link: https://fex.net/308616893857

Fest’s informational support: RUSSIAN RADIO and RADIO ROCKS Kherson, Shopping and Entertainment Center “Fabrica”, magazine “MAIN PEOPLE”, magazine of your city “KhersonCity”, broadcaster Olga Gmyrya, journalist and broadcaster Inna Dmytruk, informational portal Oleshky.city.

Sound engineer of the event was Creative Workshop “SLON”.

We would like to thank Oleshky Regional State Administration and Oleshky Regional Council, Oleshky Regional Service of the Principal Administration of State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations of Ukraine in Kherson Oblast, CE “Oleshky Regional Center of Primary Health Care” for the support and help in the organization of the event.

Translated by Anastasia Kyselyova