A hands-on moment at Europe Day revealed Parisians embracing Ukrainian culture, as a city official learned petrykivka brushwork amid a lively cultural fair.
The mayor of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, for the first time tried his hand at Petrykivka painting during Europe Day celebrations on the Place de la République, where residents could see traditional Ukrainian decorative painting at one of the stalls.
According to the correspondent, Ukraine’s Ambassador to France, Vadym Omelchenko, and representatives of the Ukrainian community and public associations also took part in the event.
He visited the Ukrainian space of the Vidkryta Arka association, where he first learned the art of Petrykivka painting.
The City of Paris in recent years has actively helped Ukrainians, including Kyiv residents. We are ready to continue this maximum support in the future; we have many new ideas and plans.
– Emmanuel Grégoire
Petrykivka painting at the center of Europe Day celebrations
Ukraine’s Ambassador Vadym Omelchenko stressed that Petrykivka painting has been inscribed on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list and has roots in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which has been subjected to Russian shelling since the start of the war.
Also at the festival, Ukrainian indie-folk musician Postman performed, and Europe Day ended with concerts featuring bands from France, other European countries and Ukraine.
Additionally, on May 9, at the European fair near Notre-Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg, Ukrainian associations participated.
