"Everyone is watching Ukraine". VEZHA, the country's main architecture festival, will take place in Lviv

The V International Festival of Architecture and Arts VEZHA will take place in Lviv on the eve of the International Day of the Architect from September 29 to October 1, 2023. This year's theme of the event is "Time for Ukraine," with its main protagonists being Ukrainian architects representing their homeland on the world stage. Their well-known European colleagues will come to the festival to support, share their experiences, and explore the Ukrainian context. The festival's events include lectures and workshops, presentations of new Ukrainian projects, excursions and plein air sessions, networking, and discussions. VEZHA has three main locations, with each day featuring a new one. One of these locations is the Center for Architecture, Design, and Urbanism "Powder Tower" located in the heart of Lviv, where the festival began in 2018 and where it is permanently returning. In its time, this was one of the most fortified buildings in Lviv, with walls up to three meters thick, which can still provide additional protection in case of air alarms. On the second day, participants are invited to visit the architectural monument of the 15th century - Svirzh Castle, located 45 km from Lviv. On the final day, the festival will visit the Leoland sports and entertainment center, known as the "Ukraine" sports palace until 2023. The festival organizers describe VEZHA as the main annual event in Ukrainian architecture, which will be of interest not only to architects.

The VEZHA festival, founded by members of the Lviv Architectural Association and supported by the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, has been bringing together architects from all over Ukraine and foreign guests for five years, according to the organizers.

"To listen to colleagues, share thoughts, simply communicate," lists architect and head of the Lviv Architectural Association Mykola Sheremeta as reasons to visit VEZHA. "It's worth coming to Lviv for 3 days. Some are interested in lectures, others in workshops, and some in excursions. The locations vary greatly—some find 'Powder Tower' convenient because it's right in the center, some are interested in a journey to Svirzh, and for others, it's an opportunity to finally see what they've built at Leoland. For us, the diversity of opportunities is important because it expands the audience, draws attention to Ukrainian contemporary architecture, and to architectural heritage."

The leitmotif of VEZHA 2023 is "Time for Ukraine." This signifies a focus on the window of opportunities that has opened for Ukraine in the world right now—not only to receive assistance and support from other countries but also to showcase its most valuable asset to the world: talented individuals. The festival will be honored by the presence of Ukrainian architects who will represent Ukraine most brightly on the global stage. One of them is the owner and architect of the architectural bureau S. Babushkina, the head of the disciplinary commission of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine, and an architect at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (MANU), Kateryna Romanenko. Together with Norman Foster, S. Babushkina's bureau designed the reconstruction of the European Square in Kyiv. Currently, Kateryna Romanenko, after a series of projects in Germany, works in Barcelona and represents MANU and Ukraine at numerous architectural conferences.

Also, once again, the founder of her own architectural design group, the deputy head of the Architecture Chamber of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine (NSAU), Anna Kiriy, will visit the festival. She will share insights about Ukraine's first representation at the Venice Architecture Biennale since 2014. Anna Kiriy was one of the primary critics of the controversial bill No. 5655 concerning urban planning reform. Currently, the project has been withdrawn, and Anna Kiriy is working in a working group at the Verkhovna Rada on a new urban planning code.

Other architects working in Ukraine, traditionally, will present the most interesting projects from various cities in the country, including Lviv, Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. They will discuss post-war reconstruction and the preservation of architectural heritage.

"A bright example is the castle in Svirzh, which had been closed for almost 30 years. Currently, it is open for visitors, and young people are working there to develop it as a cultural and artistic center, attracting many visitors every week. The second day of the festival will be held there, featuring not only guided tours but also exhibitions, installations, and performances," says architect, and director of the Center for Architecture, Design, and Urbanism "Porokhova Vezha" Angelina Yefimenko. Svirzh Castle is a unique architectural landmark that requires attention. While many objects have been destroyed in Ukraine, it should not be a reason to neglect the buildings that fortunately escaped destruction. Much has been done in the castle, but there is still much more to do. Currently, the National Union of Architects is actively working on its development. We hope the festival will attract even more attention to it, just like to the "Porokhova Vezha" because cultural and artistic centers like them need to be restored and developed. We know how such institutions look and operate in Europe.і".

Among other things, foreign participants of the festival will talk about this. This year, the festival has invited a very influential cohort of architects and artists:

• Alek Janicki - a Polish artist, who, among other things, created the installation-performance "Black Satori" in Svirzh as part of the Wroclaw Biennale 2023.
• Piotr Chuchacz - a renowned Polish architect who served as the head of the Chamber of Architects of Poland until the end of 2022, and personally met Ukrainian refugee architects, helping them remain active in their profession.
• Fabio Grilli - an Italian architect and senior manager in project design at EMMAR (Dubai, UAE), the largest developer in the entire Arab world.

You can attend the VEZHA festival for free if you register by September 20th, 22 p.m. However, you need to register separately for each event. Some registration forms are already open, and the organizers recommend keeping an eye on the festival's website for the start of registration for all events.

Among other things, they recommend paying attention to the "Green Lungs of Lviv" workshop, which will take place from September 26th to 28th, just before the start of the festival. It is ideated by Andriy Ihnatiuk (the head of the architectural and design company "5f studio") and curated by Solomiya Konyk-Shchegolska. One of the tutors will be Marten Duplantier, an architect and urbanist, and the president of the Architecture et Maîtres d'Ouvrage Association (Paris, France).

There will also be a series of excursions to interesting objects, including the "Lviv Port" logistics complex, a unique revitalization project - the "Jam Factory" Art Center, and the Fathers Orionists' Church designed by Mario Botta. Additionally, there will be a workshop on architectural photography by the renowned German photographer Yohan Zerdoun.

"Architecture is currently undergoing a new cycle - this is especially felt in Western Ukraine, where a lot of work is happening right now. Kyiv and Dnipro are gradually coming back to life, and we are looking forward to the future reconstruction of Kharkiv, Odesa, and hopefully, very soon, we will be rebuilding the cities in Donbas. There is much to see and discuss, especially now when everyone is watching Ukraine," says one of the co-founders of the festival, architect Bohdan Hoy. "VEZHA is the only architectural festival that has survived during the war, and it has become even more important. We saw this last year when there was an opportunity to cautiously exchange ideas. Today, we are confidently looking towards the future. We have the impulse to work; we just need to harness it and get to work."

VEZHA Festival Resources:

• Website: http://vezha-festival.zuap.org/
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/VEZHAfestival/
• Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/vezhafestival/

Facebook Page of the Center for Architecture, Design, and Urbanism "Gunpowder Tower": https://www.facebook.com/gunpowdertower/

Facebook Page of the Cultural and Art Center "Svirzh Castle" ("Замок СВІРЖ"): https://www.facebook.com/svirzhzamokcenter/

Locations of the VEZHA Festival:

Gunpowder Tower (4 Pidvalna Street)

This building, originally an architect's house, has now transformed into the Center for Architecture, Design, and Urbanism, which always leaves behind new and intriguing impressions. Traditionally, the FIRST day of the festival takes place here. It is from this building that everything started long ago, and this year, the festival returns to its usual mode.

Svirzh Castle (Svirzh Village, Lviv Region)

Svirzh Castle is not only a unique historical structure and architectural landmark but also a cultural and arts center. It is essential for the VEZHA Festival that one of the days is held here because this location reveals something new to everyone each time.

Leoland (18 Melnyka Street)

Leoland is a new educational and sports entertainment center for the whole family and a fascinating architectural object. VEZHA is the first event to be held in the event hall of this center.

The goal of the VEZHA Festival is to unite and inspire!

We aim to bring together professionals and the business community during challenging times to share experiences in preserving businesses and supporting the economy during times of war. Together, we will make a significant contribution to victory!

Our festival is also intended to find the right path for rebuilding the country. We want to address pressing issues in contemporary architecture and find ways to overcome corruption within the state and our professional environment.

VEZHA creates an opportunity to unite the creative community of Ukrainians, showcasing artistic projects by Ukrainian architects, designers, and artists, as well as the achievements of Ukrainians in the fields of architecture, art, and innovative technologies developed during the war.

VEZHA is a space for communication and knowledge exchange among experts from different cities and countries. Together, we will discover new ideas and development pathways aimed at building a better future!