Oleh Pinchuk, Director of European Art School, opened a monument in Florence together with other artists.

One of the crucial Italian and Ukrainian awarding ceremonies dedicated to modern art – Celebrity Awards 2021 – took place on Saturday, October 23.

The monument to Taras Shevchenko, a prominent Ukrainian writer and artist, was opened in the garden of Florence-based Biblioteca delle Oblate due to the 207th anniversary of his birthday.

Monument authors:
Oleh Pinchuk, People’s Artist of Ukraine, Ukrainian sculptor, Director of European Art School of International European University.

Bohdan Tomashevskyi, Ukrainian sculptor.

Volodymyr Sholudko, People’s Artist of Ukraine (awarded on October 23, 2021), sculptor, Honored Artist of Ukraine.

Kyiv gave the masterpiece to the municipality of Florence in commemoration of historical brotherhood connecting two cities since 1967 and in gratitude for the monument to Dante Alighieri erected in the historical center of Kyiv. By the way, the memorial depicts young artist Taras rather than a stereotyped old man in the sheepskin coat.

This year’s winners of Celebrity Awards 2021:

Francesco Corsi, the best art supervisor in 2021.

Alfred Milot Mirashi, an Italian and Albanian artist primarily known for his monumental sculptures.

Maryna Shavrova, Ukrainian by origin, award-winner as a promoter of Ukrainian culture and art in Italy.

It’s the 100th Taras Shevchenko’s monument outside Ukraine.

According to Ukrainians, this memorial has become a part of the motherland for them. It inspires for meetings, cultural events, declamation of poetry, creation of new masterworks. We can say proudly that the library is also becoming a center of cultural life of Florence Ukrainians.

The awarding ceremony was held under the patronage of the Ukrainian Consulate in Florence with its representative, Oksana Polataichuk.