Sergiy Tsyupko’s time machine

This story was told to me by one of Oleksandr Murashko’s descendants in the 1970s. In the family archive, he unexpectedly discovered two large folders with the inscription – children’s plein airs, June 1918. Another Muscovite war was going on in Ukraine – at that time in a brutal Bolshevik guise. The situation was constantly changing. In 1918, Kyiv was occupied by the German army, and the government was headed by Hetman Skoropadskyi. For a short period, a fragile calm settled down in Kyiv, and people instantly went about their normal, peaceful business. The famous Ukrainian artist asked the children to depict in paintings and drawings how they see the future of their country. According to my friend, he was struck by the unusual brightness of these works and the special saturation of the Ukrainian spirit.

A hundred years have passed, the wheel of history has made its century-long circle, and Ukraine is again at war with its eternal enemy. This time, our people and the army have defended their capital and, despite constant rocket attacks, Kyiv lives a full life. War exacerbated human feelings such as fear, despair and their eternal companion depression. But the people of Kyiv show amazing will, love of life and resilience in these cruel times. In the city, not only Points of Invincibility were created, where residents can warm up and charge their phones, but also, which is no less important, entire Oases of cultural and spiritual life in the conditions of war. People actively attend exhibitions, concerts and performances, which give strength and faith in our final Victory.

One of these cultural oases was created by the well-known Kyiv philanthropist Sergiy Tsyupko. He opened the Residence of his Private Museum of Modern Art of Ukraine in the historical part of the city on the former territory of the Pechersk Fortress. From the first day of its opening, the Residence turned into a cute cozy corner with a unique Kyiv charm, typical for the intellectual and bohemian salons that were kept by the Tereshchenko and Khanenko families at the beginning of the 20th century. As you know, mansions and collections of paintings that belonged to these famous families formed the basis of Kyiv art museums. Beautiful paintings and sculptures from Sergiy Tsyupko’s collection, a constantly updated exhibition, live communication of famous Ukrainian artists, exquisite buffets at exhibition openings – all this creates a refined and unique atmosphere that touches the finest strings of the human soul and brings harmony and joy. And these joyful and necessary feelings were transferred far beyond the Residence of the private museum.

Continuing the traditions of the famous artist Oleksandr Murashko, Sergiy Tsyupko held an All-Ukrainian drawing contest among children on the topic of their vision of our country’s future after the war. The winners of the competition were awarded valuable prizes – top gadgets, especially popular among children. And the Kyiv Jewelry Factory awarded the participants with jewelry products, known for their quality, with national symbols. The idea of ​​the competition instantly gave an impulse to a wonderful energy of creativity and inspiration. More than a thousand drawings embodied a unique map of their childish and bright country, in which these children will live after this war. In fact, it was a journey in a time machine from the Murashko’s plein-air era and the surprisingly bright pictures of the future by Ukrainian children of that time to the drawings of our young contemporaries, who, just like their great-grandfathers and great-grandmothers, see a beautiful and prosperous Ukraine in their future life.

The person who created this project has already combined our great past with the present and the future many times. If the Museum Residence and the children’s project will continue the traditions of the famous patrons – Tereshchenko and Khanenko families, as well as Murashko’s plein airs, then Ukrainian art will carry the light of culture for hundreds of years and give spiritual energy to our people. Patron Sergiy Tsyupko is full of energy and strength, and his new projects will serve the people of Ukraine many more times.

Russian language version of the article: https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/mashina-vremeni-sergeya-cyupko-2604675.html
Ukrainian language version of the article: https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/mashina-chasu-sergiya-cyupka-2604675.html

Sergiy Tsyupko: this is not a competition, but an art festival.

The competition “I draw Ukraine – peaceful and free!”, organized by the First Private Museum of  Modern Art of Ukraine with the support of the Sergiy Tsyupko’s Charitable Foundation, has become an important event for young artists from all over Ukraine. This event brought together children aged 9 to 13, giving them a unique opportunity to express their dreams through art. The idea of ​​the competition turned out to be extremely popular, because more than a thousand works were submitted by young talents.

Personally, I consider it’s important to develop Ukrainian art and to support young talents, that’s why this unique project was created. The contest became a real platform for young artists who portrayed their vision of a peaceful life in their native land. The participants’ works impressed the jury with their sincerity and outlook on the world.

Choosing the winners wasn’t an easy task, because each work was worthy of high praise. Finally, the jury selected the best and awarded them with valuable prizes. Oleksandra Horbatyuk (10 years) from Zvenygorodka, Sofia Chapko (12 years) from Kovel and Angelina Shevchuk (12 years) from Starokostyantyniv won the prize places. The audience sympathy prize went to Victoria Humenyuk (13 years) from the city of Kryvyi Rih.

The solemn award ceremony held on May 31 in Kyiv was a bright event for the winners and their families. Prizes were awarded by honoured Ukrainian singer Natalia Mogilevska, which made this day unforgettable for all participants. Her presence and support gave additional weight to the contest, emphasizing the importance of supporting children’s creativity.

The winners got the opportunity to display their works in the museum’s halls and on its Facebook page, and I believe that this will be an important step in their creative development. The exhibition of works will allow a wide audience to get acquainted with wonderful works of children’s art, which impress with their immediacy and depth. Undoubtedly, this project brought joy to both the children themselves and their mentors, becoming an important stage on the way to artistic achievements and peaks.

I’m sure that we will hold such contests in the future as well, because supporting and developing the talents of the younger generation is our priority task. Ukraine is rich in its cultural heritage and creative potential, and we are constantly moving forward, combining the past with the future in the flow of modern art.

Serhiy Tsyupko about the competition “I draw Ukraine – peaceful and free!”

The competition “I draw Ukraine – peaceful and free!”, organized by the First Private Museum of  Modern Art of Ukraine with the support of the Sergiy Tsyupko’s Charitable Foundation, has become a real significant event for young artists from all over the country. This event, which brought together children aged 9 to 13, gave young talents a unique opportunity to express their dreams and visions of the future of Ukraine through art.

The participants of the competition had the opportunity to depict their hopes for peace and freedom on their canvases, express their thoughts and feelings with the help of paints and brushes. This competition not only contributed to the development of children’s creative abilities, but also became a platform for their personal expression and hope for a better future.

 Sergiy Viktorovych, please tell us what is the significance of this competition for you personally?

For me, this is a special project that allows children to feel themselves the part of something important and express their feelings through art. I want children to feel their significance, to express their vision of the world around them and their dreams freely. Ukraine is rich in its cultural heritage and creative potential, and we are constantly moving forward, combining the past with the future in the flow of modern art. The competition became an important step in the development of children’s creativity, because each drawing is a small story about a big dream.

What role does your museum play in the development of Ukrainian art and support of young talents?

 The museum’s mission isn’t only to collect and exhibit works of art, but also, among other things, to promote the aesthetic development of the younger generation in the conditions of free and independent Ukraine. We strive to support and develop the talents of the younger generation, and the contest “I draw Ukraine – peaceful and free!” is just one of our initiatives in this direction. Personally, I am sure that the influence of art is the easiest way to human souls.

That sounds great! And what is your most memorable moment during this competition?

The most memorable moment was when my team and I reviewed the submitted works. We were so impressed with each of them that we just couldn’t take our eyes off. It was like a trip to the world of a fairy tale, where each drawing is a separate story.

Tell, please, how do you evaluate the children’s participation and reaction to this competition? How do you feel what such a competition can give to children?

I was pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of works that we received from our young participants: more than a thousand drawings were sent from different parts of Ukraine. This suggests that children are very interested in such competitions, and their mentors help young artists to move creatively and win.

It’s very touching to see the works sent by children. They explode with colors and emotions, and each drawing is a small masterpiece. I’m just fascinated how children see our country! Each work reflects a child’s vision of an ideal future, full of peace and harmony. It also shows how deeply children care about our country and want to contribute to its better future. In addition, the competition promotes the development of creative abilities and emotional intelligence, helping children to feel that they are important members of society.

This experience is invaluable for every child, because through their drawings they can express what is sometimes difficult to convey in words. They learn not only to draw, but also to dream, hope and believe in the best. I hope that such initiatives will inspire them for further creative development and an active civil position.

What future plans do you have for organizing similar events for children?

We plan to continue holding similar contests and events, activating the development of creativity and patriotic feelings among children. Personally, I hope that our children will be able to develop comprehensively and influence the world through art. Each of their drawings is their deep feelings and dreams that can change our lives. I want they to feel their importance and power.

What would you like to say to the young generation that wants to develop their creative abilities and help Ukraine?

I want to tell young creators that each of their creative works isn’t just an image or a beautiful picture, it’s a story about their dreams, their faith and hope. Don’t be afraid to express yourself through art, because your talent can change everything around you.

This competition became a unique opportunity for children not only to show the world of their dreams, but also to feel themselves the part of a big family that strives for peace and freedom for our country. I believe that their creativity and energy will bring us many more joyful moments and achievements, because art has always been a powerful tool for expressing feelings and ideas, supporting peace and freedom.

Thank you, and I wish you success in all your future initiatives and events for the development of art among children!

Thank you for your questions and support. We will continue to do our best so that children can discover their talent and express their feelings through art. If we change even one life through this competition, then all this work will be worth it. May each drawing bring joy and inspiration to everyone around!

Sergiy Tsyupko presents the Museum Residence: A new page in museum’s history

While the construction of the main Museum House is in the plans, while the design work directed to the future continues, you can get your share of inspiration and aesthetics right now.

With the beginning of the war, all our forces are directed towards the approach of victory, but art isn’t put on pause. It finds its embodiment in creative thoughts.

To feel this mood is a gift.

That is why art remains relevant even during the terrible war that came to our land. Some works inspire, others enchant or make you stop and think.

The collection of the First Private Museum of Modern Art of Ukraine, which includes 6,000 exhibits, arouses great interest in society among those who follow the artistic life of the country, those who are professionally involved in the study of specific time segments of the country’s artistic life, periods of creativity of particular artists. Each work is subject to individual consideration. And there is an understanding that Sergiy Viktorovych Tsyupko managed to preserve the most valuable artistic fund of the country, which had every reason to disappear.

The director of the museum, Oksana Koval, notes that today’s museum course is unchanged – replenishment of the collection, its popularization and, accordingly, the realization of ideas. Even the war did not stop the progressive movement of the institution, although this forced pause in the exhibition activity made it possible to focus on fund and restoration work, which is extremely important. At this time, we activated the “Art-Voyage” project, which, travelling through the museums of Ukraine, introduced the collection to the country’s regions and not only through exhibitions, but also by replenishing the local libraries with our art albums and catalogues.

While the construction of the main Museum House is in the plans, while the design work, directed to the future, continues, you can get your share of inspiration and aesthetics right now, because one more of our museum locations is starting its journey!

We are opening a “Museum Residence” in Kyiv at the address of Yevhena Konovaltsia st., 44 A. The new space of the museum designed to restore active exhibition work in the usual, traditional format. The territory of one and a half hundred meters of exhibition space will provide an opportunity to continue introduction to the collection. With the appearance of a new address, an opportunity arose to reproduce the projects created during the almost 20-year museum period, to fill the themes suggested by today’s time with new content.

“We live the life of our country and understand how attention to people and their needs in any form is necessary, – says the founder of the First Private Museum of Modern Art of Ukraine Sergiy Tsyupko. – By opening a new museum space, we are simultaneously continuing the program carried out by Sergiy Tsyupko’s Charitable Fund, regarding assistance to the families injured during military actions, the war that came to our home. Not forgetting the children, we made them happy with gifts for the New Year. I think that at the next stage of the museum’s history, on the new territory, we will find the ways to interest them in museum programs”.

“Museum Residence” is an opportunity to attract those who are inspired by artistic creativity, for whom the new location is an additional source not only of aesthetic content, but also a place of creative communication, professional discourse.

The name of Sergiy Viktorovych Tsyupko became iconic in the country’s artistic life. He was the one who opened the First Private Museum of Modern Art of Ukraine at the beginning of this century. Years passed, and somehow, in one of the conversations with the museum staff, we heard: “Renting even the most interesting premises that we had before is fine, but our Museum House is our own world! We will build our own premises”! The words of a person, who through charitable works became on the same level with the famous patrons of the past, have good reasons for implementation. A house for own collection is an embodiment of own vision, an opportunity to gather under one roof both a permanent exhibition and space to any exhibitions and projects, an opportunity to immerse yourself in the artistic atmosphere of creative diversity. And at the same time remember how each exhibit is connected with your own, the history of the acquisition, your involvement in it and then clearly feel that the business of life – this is it! High prospects, of course, are waiting for peacetime, but plans for building are laid down in technical and project documentation already today. Depicting the image of the House for the Art Collection, Sergiy Tsyupko is very picky about everything related to the institution’s professional functioning.

The new space opens with an exhibition of new arrivals. The time range is wide enough. It seemed interesting to select works that were donated or purchased by the museum. The exposition is like an intermediate summary of the work, which is important to record. The exhibition of works, which opens the new location, was named simply and concisely – “Receipts”. It seems that it will give a reason to make such reports periodically, updating the composition of participants from time to time.

Today, the list of names indicates the level of representation: L. Rapoport, I. Marchuk, M. Vaisberg, O. Milovzorov, O. Yerzhikovsky, O. Zakharchuk, N. Bondarenko, M. Storozhenko, N. Denisova , M. Mazur, D. Stetsko, families of Zhivotkov, Brovdi and Kotkov and many others, whose contribution to the artistic context of Ukraine’s history is bright. Thanks to the artists’ view, the time we live in, will be clear.

Launching the “Museum Residence”, Sergiy Tsyupko emphasizes: “Our plans for the Museum’s future remain valid. We are waiting for the war’s end, for creative recovery.”

Today is the time of the “Museum Residence”! We believe that the Kyivans and all who have become the part of the museum’s circle of friends long ago will like its chamber format. The new museum address is another page in the biography of the art institution, which is constantly working and building forward-looking plans. Each gradual step brings us closer to the common goal.

We wish them success! Good luck to the “Museum Residence”, happy creative journey!