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12 August 2009 13:15

Due to Flourish, the Ukrainians! Program to support diaspora organizations, 14 Kazakhstan-based young people mastered the bandura basics

Pavlodar Shevchenko Society of Ukrainian Culture public organization (Kazakhstan) informs on the successful implementation of the Bandura Playing School project. This project was among the winners of the Flourish, the Ukrainians! Program to support diaspora organizations by Ukraine 3000 Foundation. It envisaged teaching Ukrainian children, living in Kazakhstan, the basic of playing the bandura Ukrainian folk musical instrument.

As reported earlier, Kyiv-based bandura player Halyna Pidlypna arrived to Pavlodar to implement this project. For three months she had been giving bandura and singing lessons for members of the Young Wing of the Shevchenko Society.

During this period, 14 young people have mastered their basics of bandura playing and singing to its accompaniment. The Charivni struny [Magic strings] ensemble, formed by them, has taken part in 12 concerts in Pavlodar, Astana, and other cities and villages in Kazakhstan, enjoying a great success.

Leaders of Pavlodar Shevchenko Society of Ukrainian Culture sincerely thanks Ukraine 3000 Foundation for the support and creating a positive international image of Ukraine.

At present there are 26 Ukrainian public organizations and 56 local branches operating in Kazakhstan, where over 500,000 Ukrainians reside. Pavlodar Shevchenko Society of Ukrainian Culture, headed by Mykhaylo Parypsa, has around 650 members and is one of the most active Ukrainian public organizations in Kazakhstan. It has two Sunday school groups, a choir, drama studio, children’s folk group, Ukrainian vyshyvanka embroidered shirts and children’s painting hobby groups, and a Ukrainian library. They also have regular Ukrainian Family radio show and Ukrainian Time TV show.