Movie in English
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans
 
Directed by Werner Herzog. 
Criminal, Detective, Action USA, 2009
Starring Nicolas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes
Terrence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage), is a New Orleans Police sergeant. While rescuing a prisoner during Hurricane Katrina, he injures his back. After receiving a medal and a promotion to lieutenant for his heroism, he becomes addicted to prescription pain medication and begins using cocaine, heroin, crack, and marijuana.   

Classical Music

Christmas Evenings Mycola Gorbych and Chamber Choir `Kyiv` National Philharmonic Friday 19 January at 19.00 Information tel. 278-16-97

 Subscription #6 - `Violin Music` A.Stankov (Bulgaria) V.Borysov(Ukraine) Symphonic Orchestra Thursday 25 January at 19.00 National Philharmonic Information tel. 278-16-97

DJ Lutique

 What did 2006 bring for you?
2006 was a year of big changes in my life. I left my post as an officer at the SBU (Ukrainian successor organisation of the KGB) and started doing my favourite thing – creating music and producing my own tracks. It was my passion for many years, but this past year was the first when I allowed myself to take it more seriously. As a result I’ve done nine tracks including remixes for Swiss label Houseworks, Ukrainian label Move Records and my own tracks that became quite famous including works on Alla Pugachova and Technologia classics and a video with the hot Ne Angely ladies. In the near future the world will see my own maxi single with all remixes from the best Ukrainian and foreign producers. In July I became a father and faced up to the responsibility of raising a child.

FREEDOM The great and the good of the Ukrainian beauty and showbiz industries gathered at VIP venue Freedom on Christmas Eve to see a new princess crowned as Miss Kyiv. Stunning young singer Ivanna Melay and sophisticated Yuri Gorbunov were the hosts for the evening as guests enjoyed an all-star show. Girls from across the oblast battled it out in the traditional swimwear and evening gown sections before devastating redhead Brit Oresta aged sweet sixteen was named as the jury’s choice for the top beauty title in the Ukrainian capital. She will now compete for the Miss Ukraine title in the spring.

Nataliya Marianchyk

Every Ukrainian region has its own toy-making traditions which are considered an important element of the many unique cultures that make up the Ukrainian nation. Historically they played an important part in the life of the region’s children and often had spititual qualities attributed to them. “Some toys were endowed with a mystical idea. Unwell babies could be cured by transferring their ailemnts onto rag-doll which were usually burned afterwards,” explains the co-curator of the doll exhibition currently running at Kyiv’s Shevchenko Museum Ludmila Davydova. Sometimes when a child died in infancy parents would even place a toy in the coffin as such folk dolls were often seen as part of the child’s identity.

 Ukrainian dolls were traditionally dressed in the folk costumes of the region, beit casual everyday outfits or festive attire. The most interesting thing about many of these dolls is that they are faceless. “The idea was for children to develop their creative skills by imagining the mood and character of the dolls for themselves. By leaving the face blank children were given the opportunity to think for themselves and create their own fantasies,” Ludmila adds.

 This exhibition has been organized jointly by Kyiv’s Pirogovo Open Air Museum and the Taras Shevchenko Museum and is being held for the fifth time. The exhibits represent traditional handicraft works by masters from different regions across Ukraine. Each visitor to the exhibition can witness the unique skills which are handed down from one generation to the next and are considered to be at the very core of Ukrainian folk culture. “The scariest thing about this tradition is that if we don’t support it there is a very real danger that it could disappear altogether as there are currently no schools or workshops teaching these ancient folk arts!” the exhibition co-curator explains. That is why the exhibition also features master classes held in the foyer of the museum by Kyiv master babushka Varvara Matsella so that each visitor can study this ancient art of doll making and even buy some examples.

 Anastasiya Skorina

Action/ Thriller, USA, 2006 Directed by Tony Scott, Starring Denzel Washington, Paula Patton

PLACE Chamber Members gathered for the big festive Networking Cocktail for Silver and Gold Card holders prior to Christmas to celebrate the upcoming holiday season in the warm and hospitable atmosphere of the restaurant with their friends and colleagues. Especially for the celebration, the restaurant’s chef prepared delicious holiday treats and wines for a wonderful buffet reception. During the evening guests enjoyed a presentation of hundreds of pictures taken from previous events hosted by the Chamber in 2006 recalling a great year of networking and fun. Thanks to Coca-Cola, METRO Cash & Carry, SUN Interbrew and Melodia Kvitiv Company (Flower Melody) for their support.

 Natalia Marianchyk

A cultural jewel of the late Kyiv Rus period is under threat in the Ukrainian capital as the Russian-leaning Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOCMP) attempts to sanction the desecration of unique 12th century frescoes. The move marks one more clash in the ongoing battle between Moscow and Kyiv for the souls of Ukraine’s millions of Orthodox faithful, with the country’s heritage likely to be the ultimate loser.

At the end of last year President Yushchenko proclaimed 2007 as the Year of the Ukrainian Book, following on from the tradition of designating cultural themes for the past five years.

The Hit FM Disco Awards were held in Kiev Sport Palace on January 13 giving Ukrainians an opportunity to see in the Old New Year together with some of dance music’s best-loved stars of the 90`s. 2Unlimited, Dr. Alban, Ice MC and East 17 were among those present, partying along to some of their classic tracks. I.Bilyk, O.Ponamoriv, Larry Winn, 2unlimited, Dr. Alban, Ice MC and East 17 all won Awards that evening.

 Yulia Samus

January 22 is the anniversary of the day when Ukrainians of east and west united, and is known as Ukrainian Unity Day. On that day 88 years ago the two Ukrainian regimes that had been established in the chaos caused by the collapse of the Tsarist empire were reunited into one Ukrainian People’s Republic. It was not a spontaneous move; the National Council of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic based in Lviv and the Directory of the Ukrainian People’s Republic based in Kyiv had previously concluded an agreement to unite the two territories into a single state on 1 December 1918. The Unification Pact of 22 January, 1919 declared: “The dreams that the finest sons of Ukraine lived and died for have been realized. We officially announce the creation of one independent Ukrainian People’s Republic”.

A Man of Chocolate and Charity
George Logush, Managing Director for Kraft Foods in Ukraine and other CIS countries, first came to Kyiv before the collapse of the Soviet UNI0N. He has seen many changes in the city and the country since then, and has a very interesting perspective on all of it.  

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Evidence of Love   

Love nowadays is like oil, a natural resource that gets exhausted while other substitutions take its place instead. With Saint Valentine’s Day looming, What’s On asked its friends when they’ve seen recently the evidence of love. True love without any ‘but’ implied.

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