Zinaida's Performance "Autumn So Lovely" at the UK Ukraine Days Festival
On October 17, 2013, in London, within the framework of the Ukraine Days in the United Kingdom festival, a gala evening with a concert program was held, featuring the performance "Autumn So Lovely" by Ukrainian artist Zinaida. The Ukraine Days festival aimed to promote a positive image of Ukraine in Europe and showcase the rich, authentic culture of the country.
"Autumn So Lovely" was created to present a distinctive and multifaceted image of Ukraine through a contemporary lens. The main theme of the performance revolves around the beauty, tenderness, purity, and harmony of the inner world of a Ukrainian woman, who, throughout the unfolding narrative, becomes synonymous with Ukraine itself. Zinaida incorporates the music of Oleg Kiva and the singing of Nina Matviyenko, drawing on the works of Ukrainian literary classics such as Pavlo Tychyna and Taras Shevchenko. The performance is complemented by the artist’s own creations of dresses and accessories, merging past and present to form a dynamic portrayal of modern Ukraine.
Zinaida remarked: "Sharing culture through the language of creativity is my life's calling. There is so little known about Ukraine's culture—so rich and multifaceted—that I feel the urge to tell its story through every possible artistic form, to reveal its beauty and life-giving force, and to show its renewed life in contemporary expressions."