Summary of the 15th Edition of the “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” Project 2025

Announcement of the Results of the All-Ukrainian Project for Young Artists “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” 2025

The year 2025 became a period of yet another serious challenge for the annual All-Ukrainian project for young artists “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI,” while at the same time confirming its resilience and effectiveness. Despite the hardships of the fourth year of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the initiative continues to confidently fulfill its main mission — supporting and promoting the art of the younger generation of Ukrainian creators.

For 15 consecutive years, the project, presented at the international level, has provided young artists with opportunities for creative self-expression and has introduced their works to the world. Throughout this time, the initiative has been implemented exclusively thanks to the dedication of its organizers, as well as the support of patrons and partners from Ukraine and abroad — without any state funding.

The project “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” is traditionally held with the aim of discovering young talents in the fields of fine and decorative arts, supporting their creative development, and presenting the best works to a wide audience in Ukraine and beyond.

The 2025 edition marks the fifteenth anniversary. For 15 years, the project in Ukraine has been carried out as a civic initiative that brings together representatives of the international creative community. “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” stands as evidence that even in today’s challenging circumstances, Ukrainian children and youth continue to create, develop, and shape the cultural image of the country through art.

Behind every creative work of these young talents stands a large number of people: parents, educators, partners, and patrons who have supported the project in various ways over the years; volunteers who are an essential part of its implementation; and organizers who, for 15 consecutive years, have charitably carried out their civic activities with faith and a strong sense of responsibility, uniting around the project people worthy of respect.

For yet another year, the project has become a reality thanks to people of goodwill who understand that if we want mutual respect, light, peace, and harmonious coexistence tomorrow, we must take care of it today. The organizers note that, following the example of this project, local art competitions later emerged in Ukraine, reflecting the core idea of the inspiration behind “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI.” It is encouraging that, inspired by the activities of “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI,” similar procedures for artwork selection, evaluation, and media coverage have appeared not only in children’s drawing competitions but also within cultural institutions and art galleries in many cities of Ukraine. This has been particularly noticeable among institutions in Lviv and Kyiv.

About the Project and the Results of 2025

In 2025, the project “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” brought together participants from various regions of Ukraine.

A total of 808 artworks were submitted to the 2025 edition of the project; 717 were qualified for participation, and 138 were selected for the exhibition collection. As традиційно, participants were grouped by age categories: 5–7 / 8–10 / 11–13 / 14–16 years. In each category, the works that received the highest ratings based on the evaluation of all nine members of the international qualification board were selected for the exhibition segment of the project. The board included professional artists, art educators, art theorists, and cultural figures.

Composition of the Board:

Rita Dauchot — watercolor artist, participant and award winner of international festivals, author of exhibition projects; works in the genres of portraiture, floristics, and figurative art. Flawinne (Namur), Belgium.

Rajko Ferk — painter (acrylic on canvas), organizer of the international Duplek Art colonies, curator of plein-air programs; an active participant in the European art scene. Zgornji Duplek, Slovenia.

Françoise Croigny-Manier — artist and watercolorist, educator, member of leading Paris art societies (Artistes Français, SNBA, etc.), award laureate, organizer of art events. Calais, France.

Anna Kuchabska — artist, lecturer at the Ivan Trush Lviv College of Decorative and Applied Arts, Head of the Graphic Design Department; member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, the Union of Designers of Ukraine, and IWS. Lviv, Ukraine.

Anatoliy Shevchuk — Ukrainian artist, member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine; organizer and participant of exhibition and plein-air programs in Ukraine and abroad; co-chair and project leader of “Art-Batyliman.” Sevastopol / Lviv, Ukraine.

Zanna Stacevica Demcenko — art educator and founder of ZANNA ART STUDIO; education: Saules Skola (fashion design), Latvian Academy of Art. Zürich–Adliswil, Switzerland.

Tania Kugai — Ukrainian artist (painting, watercolor, graphics), member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine; Associate Professor at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design; participant in international exhibitions and art residencies. Kyiv, Ukraine / Miseglia (Carrara), Italy.

Volodymyr Bereznyi — Ukrainian artist (monumental and easel painting), graduate of the Institute of Arts (decorative and applied arts, artist-designer); works with landscape, still life, and sacred themes. Tysmenytsia, Ukraine.

Julia Ain Burns — Canadian interdisciplinary artist (media art, performance, photography), practicing community-based arts; MA in Peace Studies (University for Peace), BFA in Film Production; participant in residencies and educational-cultural projects. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The exhibition collection of the best artworks of “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” 2025 includes works by participants that will be presented in exhibition and presentation activities in Ukraine and partner countries.

Laureates of the First Degree

Laureates of the Second Degree

Laureates of the Third Degree

Special Recognitions Were Awarded To:

The awarding of the authors of the best works will take place in a remote format, as the war with the Russian Federation continues in Ukraine and the organizers cannot guarantee an adequate level of safety during mass ceremonial events for participants, members of the international board, and guests.

The project “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” was initiated by the International Association of Culture and Art in 2011. Coordination is carried out by the Lviv Regional Charitable Foundation “TORBA,” and the organizer is the NGO “Center for Cultural & Arts Initiatives.”

Acknowledgments

The Organizing Committee expresses its sincere gratitude to all participants, teachers, parents, partners, and patrons for their support of the project and for fostering children’s and youth creativity. We thank everyone who patiently and kindly awaited the results of this edition.

Implementing the project at a достойний international level since its founding has never been easy — frankly, each year has been an extraordinary challenge. Unfortunately, the current realities in Ukraine do not facilitate or simplify any aspect of organizing and carrying out the project. Therefore, we are deeply grateful to everyone involved in its development, and especially to the participants: for your inexhaustible talent, continuous creative activity, willingness to share your artistic achievements, and, of course, for the words of support you have sent us throughout all 15 years. We value everyone who shares the importance of this common cause.

We are proud of every participant of the project, regardless of the distinctions received. The very fact that you are passionate about art, live through it, and continuously practice it is evidence of a great mission — affirming the important role of art in building peace and fostering harmonious coexistence among humanity.

We extend special words of gratitude to all who helped implement the project under today’s challenging conditions — thanks to your support, “PROSTO NEBYLYTSI” maintains the continuity of its tradition and its international presence. Your involvement is a testament to responsibility and humanity, as well as to the importance of jointly building a safe tomorrow and strengthening Ukraine’s достойний reputation in the international arena.

Today, every person in the world is an ambassador of the values that shape our tomorrow. The awareness of the timeless wisdom — “Only those who make an effort and sow goodness can expect goodness in return” — gives us reason to look to the future with hope.

Andriy Sendetskyy, Arti