Kyiv celebrated the Nowruz holiday

Celebrations for the Nowruz holiday, marking the arrival of spring, took place on April 23 in Kyiv, organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Tajikistan in Ukraine jointly with the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (NUBiP) and the People’s Diplomacy Foundation.

More than 600 people took part in the event: representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Kyiv City State Administration, ambassadors and diplomats of foreign states, heads of international and regional organizations, rectors and lecturers of higher education institutions, and figures from science, culture, business and public organizations.

The cultural program of the event included the screening of videos about Nowruz celebrations and tourism opportunities in Tajikistan, recitation of poems by Tajik classics by students of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, a display of national costumes of Tajikistan and Ukraine, and a joint concert featuring folk songs and dances.

As part of the celebration, an exhibition was organized of photographs of Tajik women in national dress, in particular in chakan and atlas, as well as the painting “Philosophy of Spring” by the Ukrainian artist Liudmyla Kobycheva and works from the “Ethno fashion” collection by Kateryna Potlova, “Peace to your family, Ukraine!”.

Honored guests included People’s Artist of Ukraine Femii Mustafaiev, Honored Artist of Ukraine Olena Dobrozii, and the head of the “Kalynochka” art ensemble Mariia Yastrebova.

Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Davlatali Nazarzoda, in his speech, stressed the historical importance of Nowruz as a holiday of the ancestors, which, thanks to the efforts of the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, has become a worldwide holiday. He emphasized the unifying role of Nowruz in developing intercultural ties.

The rector of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Vadym Tkachuk, noted that holding the holiday at the university helps strengthen international relations and the exchange of cultural traditions.

The President of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, Yaroslav Hadzalo, expressed respect for the Tajik people and stressed the need to expand cooperation between Ukraine and Tajikistan in the field of agrarian development.

The head of the People’s Diplomacy Foundation of Ukraine, Fedir Lavrynenko, noted the importance of people’s diplomacy as a significant factor in bringing different peoples and cultures closer together.

Ukrainian orientalist Oleksandr Shokalo, comparing the traditions of Nowruz in Tajikistan and Easter in Ukraine, drew attention to the deep cultural parallels between the two peoples.

At the end of the celebrations, participants were able to socialize at festive tables, where dishes of Tajik and Ukrainian national cuisines were presented.

The culmination of the celebration was a football match for the Cup of the Ambassador of Tajikistan and the rector of the university between a joint team of the Embassy and the Tajik diaspora and the team of NUBiP of Ukraine.