Young people in Mykolaiv performed Ukrainian songs at the «Chervona Ruta» festival

On Saturday, 20 June, the qualifying round of the 18th All-Ukrainian Festival of Contemporary Song and Popular Music «Chervona Ruta» took place in Mykolaiv.

This was reported by a correspondent for NikVesti.

«Chervona Ruta» is the best-known regular All-Ukrainian youth music festival, founded in 1989. Its main aim is to discover new talent and promote the development of contemporary Ukrainian music.

«Due to the war, a large number of participants are taking part in other regions. In particular, contestants from the Mykolaiv region took part in qualifying rounds in Odesa and submitted applications to Dnipro and Khmelnytskyi. «Chervona Ruta» supports participants right where they are. What makes it special is that «Chervona Ruta» is an investment in the future. That is why it is important to support the festival, as its aim is to educate young people and foster national and patriotic values, which is a state priority,» said Alona Bida, head of the creative department at the All-Ukrainian Festival of Contemporary Song and Popular Music «Chervona Ruta».

There are two categories in the competition — winner and reserve. The winners will represent Mykolaiv in the final, which will take place in 2027. The reserves form a potential pool of talent from which participants for the final may subsequently be selected. The main requirement is to perform three songs in Ukrainian.

Auditions were held in the following musical genres:

• authentic Ukrainian folk music;
• popular music;
• contemporary dance music;
• acoustic music;
• rock music;
• other music.

«The selection criteria are a distinct Ukrainian identity in the music and a strong musical fabric that incorporates our national element. It’s about modernity, originality and original songs that reflect the reality of the situation,» emphasised Alona Bida.

According to her, 30 applications have been submitted from the Mykolaiv region via the official website; however, given that the war has been ongoing for five years now and some participants are joining locally, on-the-spot registration is taking place.

«A large number of participants from the Mykolaiv region have already taken part in the preliminary selection rounds, which took place in other cities across Ukraine. These include, in particular, nine participants, the most recent of whom were in Zaporizhzhia and Odesa, near the front line. And the tenth selection round is currently taking place in Mykolaiv,» noted Alona Bida.

Vitalii Boichenko, Deputy Head and Head of the Department of Cultural, Educational and Artistic Activities at the Directorate of Culture, Nationalities and Religions of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, noted that funding has been allocated by local authorities across the region to organise this competition, with the aim of attracting as many young people as possible.

«This festival began back in 1989 and served as a catalyst for the formation of Ukrainian cultural identity. It was there that the yellow-and-blue flag was raised for the first time, and the Ukrainian Anthem – which later became the national anthem – was performed. It was from there that modern Ukrainian culture in all its forms began – from authentic folklore to contemporary Ukrainian rock,» he said.

Contestant Oleksandr Tomchuk explained that he decided to take part to showcase his original works and make a name for himself.

«It’s great to have the chance to prove myself, showcase my original works and more. This also allows us to support our military. Today we performed the song «After the Graduation Ceremony» — that’s my latest work. It’s dedicated to graduates. I didn’t have my own graduation ceremony because in 2014 I moved from Donetsk, where I was studying,» shared Oleksandr Tomchuk.

Vadym Popov, frontman of the band «MIF», explained that the band has been together for just over a year and was formed at the Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University.

«We played cover versions and performed at university and local events. This was our first time entering a competition. My singing teacher also told me about this competition and said that we had every chance of winning as a band and progressing to the national stage,» said Vadym Popov.

As a reminder, on 18 June, the Mykolaiv Regional Universal Scientific Library hosted a meeting entitled «The Library in Lines and Shadows» with Mykolaiv-based artist Anatolii Krutikov.