On August 31, in honour of the release of the third annual specialised edition of Vogue Ukraine. In honour of its leaders and heroes, outstanding cultural and public figures, the solemn Vogue Ukraine Leaders Gala was held at the Ivan Franko National Theatre.
The event was hosted by Kateryna Osadcha, a TV presenter and Philanthropist, and Yevhen Nyshchuk, People's Artist of Ukraine and General Director of the Franko Theatre. Introducing the new issue dedicated to leaders who shape the social and cultural landscape, Ukrainian Vogue publisher Yulia Kostetska noted: "In a world of algorithms, we continue to believe that the printed word retains its nourishing power. We are dedicated to creating stories about and for people — stories that capture our time, help us live it, and fortify our resilience."
The heroes of the new issue are the ballerina Katerina Khanyukova, writer and veteran Artur Dron, artists Roman Himey and Yarema Malashchuk, public figure Tetyana Sybiga, executive director of the Aspen Institute Kyiv Yulia Tychkivska, deminer for the Ukrainian branch of the charitable organisation for humanitarian demining The HALO Trust; director and producer Marina Er Horbach; public figures and adoptive parents Inna and Timur Miroshnychenko; and photographers Vlada and Konstantin Liberov.
The cover's heroine, Kateryna Khanyukova, first soloist of the English National Ballet, came from London to join editor Alyona Ponomarenko for a public conversation about the price of an artist's great success and culture as a strategic tool. Young Ukrainian dancers performed on stage: artists of the Kharkiv Opera Theatre, Maria and Maksym Chuby and 14-year-old Lviv resident Maria Melnyk, a ward of the Khanyukova Charitable Foundation.
Artist Roman Himey and Ukrainian Vogue editor Daria Slobodyanyk continued the discussion on the visibility of Ukrainian art in the modern world. With director Ivan Uryvskyi, she discussed the power of theatrical expression during the war and new productions that all of Kyiv is talking about. The striking poetic lines of Artur Dron, born on combat positions, were heard in the lyrical performance of actress, People's Artist of Ukraine Olena Khokhlatkina. The evening ended with a chamber music performance by Pianoboy.
Traditionally, the Vogue Ukraine Leaders initiative had a charitable purpose: the editorial office inspired a charitable silent auction in favour of the HO Veteranka to support, treat, and restore Ukraine's defenders. The lot – a unique brooch made of gold and natural diamonds, specially created by the Guzema Jewellery brand- was presented by jewellery designer Valeria Guzema and the leader of the Veteranka movement, Kateryna Pryymak, and the Franko Theatre added ten tickets to a new performance by Ivan Uryvsky, "Odyssey ~ Meotida". In addition, the profit from ticket sales will be transferred to the HO Veteranka.
Among the guests at the charity evening were TV presenter and philanthropist Maria Efrosinina; war correspondents Vasilysa Stepanenko and Yulia Kochetova; musician Dmitry Monatic; designers Kateryna Silchenko, Lilia Pustovit, Ivan Frolov and Lilia Litkovska; director Alan Badoev; athletes Zhan Beleniuk, Oleksiy Sereda and Yevgeny Bogodaiko; and others.
The partners of the evening were one of the leaders of the Ukrainian automotive market, VIDI; the French beauty brand Lancôme; the leading manufacturer of electronics and household appliances, Hisense; the world's No. 1 cosmetics group L'Oréal; and the event agency S*EVENT, which organises large-scale events of the highest level in Ukraine and the world. La Famiglia provided the gastronomic experience with restaurant-level catering.
Photos from the event are available at the link.