LITERATUR ONLINÉ COUFISE IN UKRAINIAN LITERATURE & CUL TuféE UKRAINE UKRAIN DI 13•ryg•S•i UKRAINIAN MODERNISM AND FEMINISM erhy Yekelchyk U•IIV TI*EI£IIYW *sffja klwciuk 10 Things Everyone Sh KnDW About Ukrain ucv Ash stA itr- Nalaliii- ANNUAL , REPORT l August 2020 - 31 July 2021 UKRAINIAN INSTITUTE LONDON Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 ## **TABLE OF CONTENTS** |A note from the Director.............................................................3| |---| |A note from the Chairman........................................................5| |Introducing the new patrons..................................................6| |List of partners.....................................................................................7| |New projects in 2020-2021:| |'10 Things Everyone Should Know About Ukraine'............................8
1.| |Literatura.............................................................................................................................9
2.| |Online film festival.......................................................................................................9
3.| |Ukrainian Literature in Translation Prize.................................................10
4.| |New seasons of events.............................................................................................11
5.| |Friendship schemes......................................................................12| |Impact and outreach...................................................................13| |Institute in numbers.....................................................................14| |New website.......................................................................................14| |Timeline of events...........................................................................15| |Ukrainian language school......................................................18| |Meet our teachers...........................................................................19| |Meet our students.........................................................................20| |Book club.............................................................................................21| |**Annex**......................................................................................................22| |Section A:Reference and administration details............................22
1.| |Section B:Structure,governance and management..................22
2.| |Section C:Objectives and activities............................................................22
3.| |Section D:Team.........................................................................................................22
4.| |Section E:Marketing..............................................................................................23
5.| |Section F:Financial review and annual accounts...........................24
6.| |Section G:Declaration..........................................................................................26
7.| - **The Ukrainian Institute London** is a centre for Ukraine related educational and cultural activities. We explore challenging issues that affect not just Ukraine but all societies today. The Institute is a charity registered in England and Wales. It is affiliated to the Ukrainian Catholic University, Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 2 ## **A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR** ## A YEAR OF CHALLENGES, A YEAR OF OPPORTUNITIES The challenges brought by the last year are difficult to overestimate. No one was left unaffected by the pandemic, and the voluntary sector was among those hit hardest. The previous Director of the Ukrainian Institute London, Marina Pesenti, left the institution in excellent shape, having created a great network of partners and supporters. It was a joy to take over as Director and start building on such strong foundations. However, it was also daunting taking over the directorship in times when in-person events— ’ the backbone of the Institute s activity—were halted for the foreseeable future, and it was unclear how the Institute would support itself. Without access to our usual physical space, kindly provided for many years by the St Sophia Society at 79 Holland Park, **the Institute truly became the sum of its people.** The challenges of the pandemic gave the Institute an opportunity to become an ever more international community devoted to studying and promoting Ukrainian history, language and culture. It has been a privilege to oversee this transformation as Director. Between August 2020 and July 2021, we ran thirty events exploring a broad range of themes, from the challenges faced by the population in occupied Crimea, and the war in the Donbas, to Ukraine's classical music scene, stand-up comedy and the multicultural heritage of the country. Our speakers - included world class scholars, journalists, political leaders, musicians, artists and a comedian! We held events in both English and Ukrainian and reached out to audiences far beyond London, **with 40% of audience members tuning in to our online events from outside the UK.** **I cannot be more grateful to the board of trustees, the wonderful team of staff and volunteers** , and, in particular, the Deputy Director Maria Montague, for rising to this challenge with enthusiasm and optimism. The loyal supporters of the Institute, old and new, in London, the UK and all over the world, not only kept the Institute afloat throughout the year but allowed it to grow and flourish. **----- Start of picture text -----**
from outside the UK.
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A YEAR OF CHALLENGES, A YEAR OF OPPORTUNITIES ## **A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR** In addition to our regular events, we produced a series of short documentary films, **‘10 Things** In order to improve our digital - communication, especially in times when in person connections were severely limited, we launched **a new website with improved user** **Everyone Should Know About Ukraine’** , in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute (Kyiv). The films have since been shared widely on social media and added to university syllabi for - students of East Central Europe, including at the University of Cambridge and University College London in the UK and Stetson University in the US. When cinemas remained closed all over the world, **we held an online film festival** , in partnership with Cambridge Ukrainian Studies and the Ukrainian online platform Takflix, which showcased some of the best Ukrainian cinema and included live Q&A sessions with Ukraine’s top film directors via Zoom. **experience** . We are very proud to have collaborated with web developers at Veteranius, an initiative assisting Ukrainian veterans, volunteers and internally displaced persons to learn and gain work experience in IT. In 2021 we also launched a number of friendship schemes which allow us to keep in closer touch with our loyal supporters, offer them exclusive benefits and provide a steady flow of donations in order to remain financially independent. The projects we have run over the last year represent a solid body of material that will continue to serve the aim of spreading reliable, accessible and diverse information about Ukraine in the UK and beyond. **This year has** We developed our educational arm by creating a bespoke **online course in Ukrainian culture and literature** , engaging the best experts in the field of Ukrainian studies as lecturers and reaching out to international learners from all walks of life, from Slavonic Studies professors interested in expanding their knowledge of Ukraine to future graduates exploring their options for further study. **proved that the Institute has the resilience, imagination, and support not only to survive challenges but to thrive.** I am sure that with the continued support of our patrons, benefactors, friends and partners, the next year will see the Institute go from strength to strength. **----- Start of picture text -----**
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O L E S Y A K H R O M E Y C H U K
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## **A N O T E F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N** - This has been a second year of COVID 19 pandemic and lockdowns, - ruling out most in person events. The new Director, Olesya Khromeychuk, has taken the Institute forward with thorough planning, energy and enthusiasm, fresh ideas and commitment. She has been ably supported by Deputy Director Maria Montague. As a result the Institute has not only weathered the year successfully, but has taken a number of new steps forward: - our four valued patrons have been joined by five distinguished newcomers we have a new, user-friendly, website - there are new schemes for benefactors and friends of the Institute - there are more students and activities at the Ukrainian Language School, overseen by new coordinator Iryna Sandalovych - the short films '10 Things Everyone Should Know About Ukraine', produced for the Ukrainian Institute (Kyiv), have been widely viewed and adopted for university and other courses. - the eight weeks online _Literatura_ courses proved very popular. All of this was in addition to organising 30 events, in both English and Ukrainian, and an online Ukrainian film festival. - As we were unable to hold an in person fundraising party, we ended the year with a deficit of under £7,000. But we enter the new academic year with almost £50,000 in the bank, thanks to fees and income from the language school, events and projects, and some generous donations. My warm thanks go to our donors and supporters, our trustees, volunteers, language teachers, marketing manager Anna Morgan, and of course to Olesya Khromeychuk and Maria Montague, for all these achievements. **R O B E R T B R I N K L E Y** 5 ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 ## **INTRODUCING THE NEW PATRONS** In 2021, the Ukrainian Institute London was delighted to welcome five new patrons: prominent figures drawn from such diverse fields as literature, international law, performing arts and the Ukrainian Catholic Church. - **Philippe Sands QC** is a Professor of Law at University College London and a practising barrister at Matrix Chambers. - **Kirill Karabits** is Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. - **Bishop Kenneth Nowakowsk** i is the Ukrainian Eparchial Bishop of the Holy Family Eparchy in London. - **Oksana Zabuzhko** is Ukraine’s major contemporary writer, the author of more than twenty books of different genres. - **Andrey Kurkov** is an internationally renowned Ukrainian writer, journalist and screenwriter, - the author of more than twenty novels and ten books for children. They join Natalie Jaresko, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Yaroslav Hrytsak and Anne Applebaum as valued patrons of the Institute. We are extremely grateful to all of our patrons for their support in spreading the word about the Institute's work, in our mission to strengthen Ukraine's voice in the UK and worldwide. **----- Start of picture text -----**
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The Ukrainian Institute London continues to foster partnerships with leading British and international cultural institutions, think tanks and universities. ## - In 2020 21 we worked particularly closely with the **British Library** , the **British Council** , **Ukrainian Institute (Kyiv), Ukrainian Jewish Encounter** , **Cambridge Ukrainian Studies** , **University College London** , **London School of Economics** , **Ukrainian Research Institute (Harvard University), Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain** , **the Embassy of Ukraine, Dash Arts, Institute for PolishJewish Studies, University College London Institute of Jewish Studies** and **the Ukrainian Contemporary Music Festival (USA).** We have also established new partnerships, in particular with publishing houses **Deep Vellum** , **Academic Studies Press** and the online streaming platform **Takflix.** We are very pleased that our affiliation with the **Ukrainian Catholic University** continues to grow and strengthen. ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 7 ## **N E W P R O J E C T S I N 2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1** ## **1 0 T H I N G S E V E R Y O N E S H O U L D K N O W A B O U T U K R A I N E** ## **10 short films that bring to life ten familiar and yet unknown stories including** - a serf who became an artist and a poet - a writer who rewrote European classics from a woman’s point of view, - a theatre director who thought that - revolutionary art could change the world, - a count who chose to become a priest - an author who wrote more than 300 poems in his prison cell - film directors who gave a voice to the silenced. This series tells the stories of Ukraine as a battleground of murderous regimes fighting over the territory and its people, Ukraine as a melting pot of languages and cultures each influencing one another, Ukraine as a place where revolutions happen in order to bring about peace, **Ukraine of many stories told in many voices.** The films have garnered **over 20,000 views on YouTube** and **over 70,000 views on social media.** The Ukrainian Institute London made these films in partnership with the Ukrainian Institute (Kyiv) and H.S. Pshenychnyi Central State Film, Photo and Sound Archive of Ukraine. Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 8 . ## **LITERATURA** We developed an **eight-week online course for anyone who is interested in Ukrainian literature and culture.** The course discussed the Romantics and the - avant garde, the modernists and the dissidents, the - post modernists and the feminists as well as the rich literary scene of contemporary Ukraine. Each seminar was delivered by an expert in the field of Ukrainian literature. All texts were read in the English translation and were made available to students enrolled on the course. The course was a **unique chance to learn from the world’s best Ukrainian Studies experts** . The small class size ensured that learners were able to ask questions and receive teaching that was tailored to them. All learners had access to recorded video lectures. The course was extremely popular and each session was fully subscribed by learners of the highest calibre. The financial model developed for the course ensured that it - was self sustaining and generated income for the Institute’s related projects ## **UKRAINIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2020** FILMS BEYOND BORDERS In November 2020, the Ukrainian Institute London and Cambridge Ukrainian Studies hosted an online festival of Ukrainian films, showcasing **four gripping contemporary Ukrainian films and holding online Q&As with the films’ directors.** The generous financial support of Cambridge Ukrainian Studies allowed UK audiences to watch the films free of charge. The films were available to watch for two weeks via our dedicated festival platform developed by Takflix. The films screened included The Forgotten (dir. Daria Onyshchenko, 2019) _,_ a story set in occupied Donbas; The Gateway (dir. Volodymyr Tykhyy, 2017), which is set inside the Chornobyl exclusion zone; Home Games (Alisa Kovalenko, 2018), a documentary about the challenges faced by a young woman footballer in Kyiv, and Train: Kyiv-War (Korniy Hrytsiuk, 2020), a documentary that follows the stories of passengers on the KyivKostiantynivka line – a twelve-hour journey from Ukraine’s peaceful capital to a small city in the east, right on the frontline of the war. **955 people registered to watch the films.** 9 ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 ## **UKRAINIAN LITERATURE IN TRANSLATION PRIZE Celebrating Lesia Ukrainka’s 150th anniversary** In 2021, the Ukrainian Institute London launched a translation competition for short prose and poetry from the Ukrainian language into English. To mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Lesia Ukrainka, one of Ukraine’s greatest writers, this year’s competition focused on her works. We encouraged translations that take a fresh approach to rendering Ukrainka’s works in English, and received **33 submissions** . The jury consisted of prominent translators: **Sasha Dugdale** who won the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem in 2016 and in 2017 was awarded a Cholmondeley Prize for Poetry. She is - - former editor of _Modern Poetry in Translation_ and poet in ’ - residence at St John s College, Cambridge (2018 2020); **Halyna Hryn** , an author, translator, editor and researcher at Harvard University and editor of the journal _Harvard_ _Ukrainian Studies_ , and **Uilleam Blacker** , a lecturer in comparative East European culture at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London. The jury selected two winners: **Nina Murray** (first prize winner), and **Daisy Gibbons** (second prize winner). The award ceremony is to be held at the British Library. Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 10 ## **New seasons of events** ## In addition to our regular programme of events, the Ukrainian Institute London has launched two new seasons of events. ## _**The Many Faces of Ukraine: Celebrating Ukraine’s Diverse Heritage**_ Through the lenses of individuals such as Paul Celan, Debora Vogel, Aleksandra Ekster and Sholem Aleichem, and topics like Crimean Tatar cinema, this season explores how different cultures have interacted in Ukraine historically and asks what space there is for this multicultural interaction today. ## **Events:** - Poetry of the Marginalised: 100 Years of Paul Celan, December 2020. - Debora (Dvorah) Vogel: Yiddish Modernist Poetry from Lviv, February 2021. Nariman Aliev, director of Homeward, in conversation with Rory Finnin, June 2021. ## _**New Visions of Donbas: exploring the history, culture and unique identity of the Donbas**_ A season of events that focuses on the Donbas: the part of Ukraine that has been engulfed by the war in recent years. As well as discussing the impact of the hostilities on the region and its population, this series of events also explores the history, cultural heritage and unique identity of the Donbas. ## **Events:** - The war in Ukraine: why it matters to the world, September 2020. - - Frontline art: representing Donbas, 2013 19, October 2020. - ‘Grey Bees’ by Andrey Kurkov: discussion with the author, February 2021. The Future of Donbas, May 2021. 11 ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 ## **Friendship schemes** In 2021, we launched a variety of friendship schemes for our most loyal supporters. These schemes are strengthening our ability to continue our work and maintain our financial independence. There are three types of schemes: Friends, Student Friends and Benefactors. Each of these contains a variety of benefits, relevant to the scheme. Alongside the schemes, we started developing our own branded merchandise: a canvas bag and postcards with the Institute’s logo and an exclusive image designed for us by Kovcheh Ukraine. We have 4 benefactors and 23 friends of the Institute to date. 'The Ukrainian Institute in London has been doing an extremely important job, making Ukraine more visible on the international stage. It is very touching to see how many people from different countries have joined the Ukrainian Institute London and help promote Ukraine around the world.' **Nataliya Yuskevych, Friend of the Institute** 'The Institute provides an excellent forum for debate on cultural and political issues. Not only does the Institute manage to attract the highest quality of speakers, but the level of discussion about Ukraine, inspired by questions from the delegates, is also very impressive.' **Yuri Bender, Friend of the Institute** 'In recent years the Ukrainian Institute has become instrumental in in promoting a better understanding of Ukrainian issues by an interested British audience. In particular, it has provided a platform in London for leading Ukrainian political and social commentators, writers and other artists. With limited funding, its directors have used great imagination and resourcefulness to organize events of interest to both Ukrainians in Britain and a British audience. I am very pleased to be able to continue supporting the work of the Institute.' **Ian Gaunt, Benefactor of the Institute** Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 12 At the Ukrainian Institute London, we aim to reach ever new audiences and create new connections in order to introduce Ukraine to people who might not encounter it otherwise. We are encouraged by the impact that we have achieved despite the restrictions due to the pandemic and our limited resources as a young charity. The Institute finds itself in a stronger and stronger position to satisfy the growing demand for content, events and projects enabling audiences all over the world to access accurate and reliable information, to hear from reputable Ukraine specialists and understand the country better. We are firmly on the path of strengthening Ukraine’s voice in mainstream cultural discourse in the UK. We have a close working relationship with international partners including the British Council, the British Library, the Ukrainian Research Institute (Harvard University), Ukrainian Institute (Kyiv), PEN International, Cambridge Ukrainian Studies and University College London, and our patrons include top scholars and cultural figures such as Philippe Sands, Kirill Karabits, Oksana Zabuzhko and Andrei Kurkov. Over the last year, we have cooperated with prominent cultural figures and Ukraine experts including Timothy Snyder, Serhy Yekelchyk, Tamara Hundorova, Sevğil Musayeva, Olia Hercules, Peter Pomerantsev, Lucy Ash and others. Our mission to raise issues that affect Ukraine and the wider world and our partnerships with leading experts in the region allow us to ensure that our outputs are high quality, diverse, accessible and that they get exposure both among those with existing interest in the region and audiences that know little about Ukraine and East-Central Europe. We ensure that our events and projects give a platform to expert speakers to raise key issues among changemakers. Our online events in particular are attended by EU and UK politicians and civil servants, we partner with influential think tanks such as Chatham House, and we have strong contacts with UK and international media who regularly attend our events and reach out to us for contacts and expertise to inform the development of their media content. ## **IMPACT AND OUTREACH** In addition to the operational activity directly related to the Institute’s work, the Institute’s director Olesya Khromeychuk engaged in effective outreach work, delivering keynote and conference speeches, writing expert analysis pieces for international media outlets and giving interviews which showcased the Institute’s work. These included: - Keynote speech at 'Modernization2021: the Role of Governance and Institutions’, organised by VoxUkraine. - Roundtable: Ukrainian Studies in the Global Context at the 2nd Taras Shevchenko Conference, organised by Indiana University. - Expert pieces in the _Atlantic Council, Kyiv Post,_ PEN Ukraine, _Los Angeles Review of Books._ - Interviews for UA: Ukrainian Radio – English Service, _Atlantic Council_ . Kirill Karabits, Olesya Khromeychuk and Robert Brinkley at the BBC Proms 2021. 13 ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 ## **Institute in numbers** 3 0 1 , 5 7 0 9 5 5 4 0 1 0 **F I L M E V E N T S P E O P L E U K R A I N I A N B O O K F E S T I V A L O R G A N I S E D A T T E N D E D L A N G U A G E C L U B A T T E N D E E S S T U D E N T S S E S S I O N S** ## **New website** Over the last year, we worked on our new website, - ukrainianinstitute.org.uk, featuring new design and new user friendly functionality. We were very proud to have collaborated with Veteranius, a group of web developers who work at an initiative assisting Ukrainian veterans, volunteers and internally displaced persons to learn and gain work experience in IT. The fresh new look of the website and our branding materials were designed by Hayley Bishop at Native Designers. We launched the website in March 2021. Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 14 ## **Events in 2020-2021** ## **0 9 . 0 9 . 2 0** People power in the face of state violence in Belarus ## **1 4 . 1 0 . 2 0** What unites Ukrainians? ## **19. 11. 20** Q&A with director of ‘The Forgotten’ Daria Onyshchenko ## **03. 12. 20** Poetry of the marginalised: 100 years of Paul Celan ## **13. 01. 21** Shchedryi Vechir – Generous Eve online fundraising party ## **3 0 . 0 9 . 2 0** The war in Ukraine: why it matters to the world ## **30. 10. 20** Frontline art. Representing Donbas - 2013 19 Q&A with director of ‘Home Games’ Alisa Kovalenko **30. 11. 20** ## **08. 12. 20** Workshop for Ukrainian heritage speakers ## **27. 01. 21** Ukraine’s cultural renaissance: how to keep it going? ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 15 ## **09. 02. 21** Debora (Dvorah) Vogel: Yiddish poetry from Lviv **08. 03. 21** 30 years of women’s activism in Ukraine ## **30. 03. 21** Crimea: seven years of annexation **29. 04 .21** Andrei Sheptytskyi: a count who became a priest **25 .05. 21** Recovering family histories ## **24. 02. 21** ‘Grey Bees’ by Andrey Kurkov: discussion with the author **26 .03. 21** Kaviarnia: Ukrainian language cafe A conversation with Michael Shchur about Ukrainian political satire **13. 04. 21** **11 .05. 21** The future of Donbas **02 .06 .21** Homeward: Q&A with director Nariman Aliev Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 16 ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 17 ## **Ukrainian language school** **40 students** Our language school has significantly expanded over the past year: our number of students more than doubled, and we recruited 3 new teachers and 3 new supply teachers to join our team. - **8 groups** - **7 one-to-one students** - **7 teachers** - **1 new course** **3 Ukrainian language cafes** ## _**Mo**_ ~~_**ving online**_~~ Over the past year, our language school has been - - operating fully online, with group courses and one to one tuition at all levels. As of Autumn 2021, we look - forward to returning to some in person teaching, whilst continuing some online groups and one-to-one courses. A very positive result of our transition to online teaching is that we now have students from across the UK, Europe and as far as North America joining our courses! ## _**Kaviarnia: Ukrainian language cafe**_ We now hold a termly language cafe, ‘Kaviarnia’, for Ukrainian language practice in a friendly, informal setting. Our first three language cafes have been - well attended, by Ukrainian learners around the world - even from Australia! ## _**Ukrainian for Heritage Speakers**_ Last year we introduced a new course, _Ukrainian for Heritage speakers_ , providing tailored teaching for people who have acquired their knowledge of Ukrainian through their families and community - schools or who spent a lot of time in a Ukrainian speaking environment; for those who might have learned the language as children, but who might not have studied it formally. Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 18 ## **Meet our teachers!** Iryna is our language school coordinator as well as one of our teachers. Originally from IvanoFrankivsk, Iryna holds a BA in English and MA in Management and Business Administration. She has extensive experience of teaching Ukrainian to students from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities. Outside of the Ukrainian Institute, Iryna has taught Ukrainian at St. Mary's Ukrainian School and as a private tutor in London. She has been a member of Molodyi Teatr London since 2012. ## **Iryna Sandalovych** ## **Olga Volosova** Olga holds a PhD in Ukrainian Literature and MA in Ukrainian. She has been teaching Ukrainian since 1999 and alongside her work with the Ukrainian Institute London, she teaches at University College London. Her publications include Collins Ukrainian Mini Gem and Gem Dictionaries and textbooks on Ukrainian literature for St Mary's Ukrainian School. Volodymyr has been teaching Ukrainian since 2001, including for Communicaid and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He holds an MA in Journalism and an MSc in Political Economy, and has been teaching Ukrainian for the Institute since 2004. In Ukraine, Volodymyr worked as an editor and journalist in print and broadcast media. He is a member of the Ukrainian Writers' Union and an author of two published books of poetry. ## **Volodymyr Oleyko** ## **Lilia Zheleva** Lilia has a PhD in Ukrainian Linguistics from Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski", where she teaches Ukrainian Language and Translation. She is a regular member of the jury of the International Ukrainian Orthography Competition. Lilia is also a literary translator, and has translated several works of contemporary Ukrainian literature into Bulgarian. ## **Yelyzaveta Taranukha** Yelyzaveta is a graduate of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (NaUKMA). She has been teaching Ukrainian since 2015. She is a PhD candidate in UkrainianCanadian Comparative Studies and holds an MA in Theory, History, and Comparative Literature. Yelyzaveta has previously taught at UkrainianScandinavian Summer School (Chernivtsi, 2017) and she also teaches at NaUKMA. ## **Andrii Smytsniuk** Andrii holds a degree in pedagogical methodology in teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language from Lviv National University of Ivan Franko and is an experienced language teacher. He has taught Ukrainian at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv and, as a Fulbright Scholar, at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA. In 2019, Andrii took up the post of Language Teaching Officer in Ukrainian at the University of Cambridge, where he teaches Ukrainian to undergraduate and postgraduate students Bohdan Tokarsky taught the Ukrainian language at the University of Cambridge for three years between 2015-18. Since 2018, Bohdan has continued teaching Ukrainian privately, as well as with the Ukrainian Institute London. Bohdan completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge in 2020. In 2020/21, he was the Prisma Ukraïna Fellow at the Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin, and the Ukrainian Research in Switzerland (URIS) fellow at the University of Basel. His academic research focuses on the works of the Ukrainian poet Vasyl Stus (1938–1985), as well as on the 'ciphered' texts and masks of Ukrainian modernism. ## **Bohdan Tokarsky** ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 19 ## **Meet our students!** Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 20 ## **Book club** Over the course of the Covid pandemic from March 2020 to June 2021 the Ukrainian Book Club had to move from live group meetings into the virtual space. On the one hand, the members had to adapt to a new format. On the other hand, our Zoom sessions provided us with an opportunity to invite prominent Ukrainian writers to our discussions, who are based outside of the UK. Over this period, the Book Club welcomed national award-winning writers such as **Ivan Malkovych** , **Marianna Kiyanovska** , **Oksana Lutsyshyna** as well as established contemporary writers **Andriy Lyubka** and **Tamara Horikha-Zernia** . We were honoured to discuss various cultural issues with prominent literary figures including the best-known Ukrainian translator from ancient Greek and Latin **Andriy Sodomora** ; honorary president of the Ukrainian PEN Club, political scientist and poet **Mykola Ryabchuk** ; literary critic **Vitaliy Radchuk** ; publisher and writer **Vasyl’ Gabor** . We also had a meeting dedicated to the life and works of one of the most talented representatives of the Ukrainian Executed Renaissance **Hryhoriy Kosynka** . Apart from the monthly meetings, during the quarantines, our Club also organised various quiz nights, poetry evenings and drama readings to help the members cope with social isolation. Volodymyr Oleyko, Book Club Moderator ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 21 ## ANNEX ## **Board of Trustees:** **Section A:** Reference and administration details - **Robert Brinkley** , Chairman **Igor Hordiyevych** , Treasurer **Ursula Woolley** , Secretary Charity Name: **Ukrainian Institute London** Registered charity number: **1170753** - **Taras Dobko** , appointed by Ukrainian Catholic University **Olha Zarichynska** , appointed by Ukrainian Catholic University **Svitlana Pyrkalo Anna Reid** Charity’s address: **79 Holland Park, London W11 3SW** **Section B:** Structure, governance and management The Ukrainian Institute London is a charitable incorporated organisation governed by a constitution. New trustees (apart from nominated trustees) are appointed by resolution of the charity trustees. The Institute is affiliated to the Ukrainian Catholic University, which may appoint up to two charity trustees. ## **Section D:** Team - The team of the Institute in 2020 2021: Director: **Olesya Khromeychuk** Deputy Director: **Maria Montague** Marketing Manager: **Anna Morgan** Language School Coordinator: **Iryna Sandalovych** ## **Section C:** Objectives and activities The object of the Institute is to advance the education of the public in the United Kingdom by providing information and broadening knowledge about Ukraine and Ukrainians, in the realms of arts, language, literature, history, religion, culture and heritage, traditions and current affairs, including by means of lectures, exhibitions, performances and other cultural events. The trustees have had regard to the guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. Communications Coordinator: **Lesia Scholey** Advisor: **Marina Pesenti** Book Club Moderator: ## **Volodymyr Oleyko** - **Volunteers:** James Bolton Jones, Kieran Robinson, Tamsin Milewicz, Luke Stamps, Antoine Korchagin, Alex Turchyn, Nina Murray, Viktoriia Udaltsova, Theo Hay, Marjan Pokhylyy, Kristina Humeniuk ## **Ukrainian Language Teachers:** Olga Volosova, Volodymyr Oleyko, Lilia Zheleva, Yelyzaveta Taranukha, Andrii Smytsniuk, Bohdan Tokarsky Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 22 ## ANNEX ## **Section E:** Marketing The marketing effort, delivered by the Institute's team, including the Marketing Manager Anna Morgan, and a group of volunteers has been essential to delivering a successful programme of events and reaching a wider audience, especially during the pandemic when most of our communication was digital. The Institute has built a recognisable visual brand and its presence is growing across a number of social media channels, engaging wider and wider audiences. ## **SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING:** **FACEBOOK 9,731 (ANNUAL GROWTH: +1,423 | 15% ↑) TWITTER 2,598 (ANNUAL GROWTH +966 | 37% ↑) INSTAGRAM 924 (ANNUAL GROWTH: +350 | 38% ↑) LINKEDIN: 373 (ANNUAL GROWTH: + 233 | 62% ↑) YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS: 1.1K (ANNUAL GROWTH: +718 | 65% ↑) NEWSLETTERS: 2,236 SUBSCRIBERS (ANNUAL GROWTH: +330 |15% ↑)** ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 23 ANNEX ## **Section F:** Financial review and annual accounts FY2020/21 was the first year that the Ukrainian Institute London has been fully financially independent, without relying on the annual grant that was generously provided by the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) up until July 2020. The resulting increase in our - fundraising targets together with the difficulties caused by the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic made this financial year particularly challenging. Nevertheless, despite the - restrictions on holding in person events (which has ordinarily been a key income stream for the Institute), we managed to raise over 90% of our annual costs, accruing a deficit of less than £7,000. Furthermore, this deficit was in part due to the need to postpone our summer fundraising party until September (and the new financial year). This small deficit is a testament to the excellent work of our new Director and our Deputy director in adapting to the circumstances of the pandemic, and still managing to raise funds in line with the result achieved in FY2018/19. Despite the small shortfall this financial year, we managed to continue growing investment into our events and infrastructure of the Institute, with the total expenses growing by ca 15%. Our prudent financial management before the pandemic has allowed us to maintain a very healthy financial cushion even despite the pandemic, and significant plans are in place to attract new supporters, both individual and corporate, in the new financial year and beyond. **----- Start of picture text -----**
Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 24
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ANNEX ## **Section F:** Financial review and annual accounts **10 Dec 2021** ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021 25 ANNEX ## **Section G:** Declaration **The trustees of the Ukrainian Institute London declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.** Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees: Full name: **Robert Brinkley** Position: **Chairman** Signature: **Date: 10 December 2021** Giving Ukraine a voice in the UK and beyond 26 **The Ukrainian Institute London is a charity registered in England and Wales, number 1170753.** Ukrainian Institute London 79 Holland Park London W11 3SW info@ukrainianinstitute.org.uk www.ukrainianinstitute.org.uk @Ukr_Institute @UkrainianInstitute.London @ukr_institute UkrainianInstitute.London justgiving.com/ukrainianinstitutelondon ANNUAL REPORT | AUGUST 2020 - JULY 2021