to add an item to your Itinerary basket.
Picture the scene: you’re a professional performer. You’ve worked hard to get where you are now. You’ve got bookings around the country, you’ve been on TV, and you’re maybe even becoming a household name. You look around and realise the years of drudgery, worry and uncertainty are over. You’re finally living the dream you’ve had since you were a child.
And then, suddenly, it’s all pulled away from you. You’re forced to flee to a country where nobody knows who you are – and where you must find any work you can to get by. Separated from your home, your career and your culture, you have to rebuild your whole life from scratch.
This May, Gloucester is giving both professional and amateur Ukrainian performers the chance to reignite their talent as part of Gloucester Ukraine Festival: a celebration of Ukrainian music, dance and arts at The Folk of Gloucester on 99-103 Westgate Street.
The festival was first launched a year ago by Gloucester resident Robin Burton. Following the Russian invasion of the Ukraine in 2022, Burton says he felt compelled: “To introduce the people of Gloucester to the incredible richness of Ukrainian culture… [and] to give refugees from the conflict in Ukraine the opportunity to get together and be proud of their own culture.”
This year, the festival has expanded further to invite Ukrainian performers from all over the UK. The festival kicks off with art exhibitions from the 3rd of May, workshops and talks from the 10th of May, and a celebration of music and dance from the 17th-18th May. All performances are free and profits from workshop tickets go straight to the Ukrainian class leaders.
For Ukrainian Co-organiser Lora Kobzarenko, the event serves a higher purpose than just entertainment. She says: “The world has grown tired of hearing about the war in Ukraine. One US TV station even called Kyiv a ‘Russian City’. In these times, it is vital that we show the world who we are. We are not Russian. We have our own culture.”
“Today, we are fighting to preserve that culture. We are fighting to preserve our songs, our music, our art – our very existence as a people. The Gloucester Ukraine Festival helps us to show the people of the UK who we are. It helps us to keep the flame of hope alive.”
Here are the stories of just a few of the featured artists whose lives were affected by the war.
Tetiana Hnilytska – concert violinist (Saturday 17th May)
Hailing from Odessa in Ukraine, Tetiana played the violin for the Odessa Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra from 2006 to 2022, when her career was cut short by conflict. At the festival, Tetiana will be playing Ukrainian classics including Melody by Myroslav Skoryk and Romanish Dance.
Recently, Tetiana has found a new outlet for her music as part of the Gloucestershire-based punk folk band, The Swing Rioters.
Slavio and Iryana Pole: Award-winning singer-songwriters (Saturday 17th May)
Before the war, this married couple worked as professional musicians in Ukraine. After fleeing to the UK, one of the first songs Slavio wrote was ‘Strength of Will’, composed especially for a project about Ukrainians who came to Dorset because of the war.
Here in the UK, Slavio took part in the international competition ‘Golden Time Talent’ and won 1st place five times – with all lyrics written by Iryna. The pair was also highly commended in the UK Songwriting Contest.
DzvinCo Song Group: vocal supergroup (Saturday 17th May)
Creating beauty from despair, this a cappella vocal group was formed in the UK in 2023 and brings together professional singers from various regions of Ukraine impacted by the war. A highlight of their career so far was opening for Okean Elzy, the top Ukrainian rock band for the past 30 years, at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2023.
Olha Hornych – celebrated opera singer (Sunday 18th May)
Hailing from Lviv in Ukraine, this accomplished opera singer currently lives in Bristol. Her past career includes solo performances in Ukraine and Europe, work on the Ukrainian TV programme ‘Sunrise’, singing projects and vocal coaching. She has a master's degree in opera singing from Lviv Academy and ensemble singing from Goerlitz, Germany.
Olya will be performing songs from the Ukrainian repertoire as well as arias in English, Italian, French and German.
Kyrylo Avilov – saxophone prodigy (Sunday 18th May)
Kiyrylo Avilov managed to leave Ukraine at the beginning of the war with his mum and brought his precious saxophone with him. He currently lives near Reading and has forged new friendships through playing in various local bands. In January 2023, he joined the Ukraine Solidarity Jazz Band.
Ruslan Ganushch – war photographer (exhibition from 3rd – 18th May)
In 2014, Ruslan started documented the defining moments of the Ukraine’s prolonged struggle. His powerful photographs offer quiet reflections born from violence: fragments of beauty found in dust, ruins, and the way light falls across forgotten objects. To Ruslan, these images were not just art – they were memory, resistance, and truth in a time when truth itself is under attack.
Tragically, Ruslan was killed on the front line of the conflict earlier this year.
Residents of Gloucester and beyond are encouraged to come along to all parts of the event and show their support and solidarity. Alongside performances, there are a range of workshops including Ukrainian embroidery, egg painting and playing the Bandura, and a talk from renowned political analyst Andriy Kobzarenko.
The full programme can be found at https://ukrainefest.uk/
Tickets for workshops and talks are available at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/gloucester-civic-trust/
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