International Activities of the YermilovCentre CSM of Karazin University in France

This year, the YermilovCentre CSM of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University was invited as one of Ukraine’s leading cultural institutions to participate professionally in the international festival “Le Voyage en Ukraine” within the Ukraine Season in France. The event, running from 29 January to 1 March 2026, is organized by the French Institute and the Ukrainian Institute, with support from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture of France and Ukraine.

During a professional international meeting in Marseille at Friche la Belle de Mai, art manager Valeriia Borokh represented the YermilovCentre at the event, which brought together creative hubs from France and other European countries. Alongside representatives of Ukrainian institutions, participants discussed challenges related to international collaboration and the implementation of cultural projects, aiming to establish constructive connections and develop ideas for joint initiatives within and beyond the Creative Europe programmes.

Valeriia was also invited to take part in a public panel discussion, “Culture Strikes Back: Strengthening Cooperation with Ukrainian Cultural Actors in Europe.” The discussion highlighted the role of the YermilovCentre CSM of Karazin University in fostering cultural resistance and the principles of creating artistic, educational, social, and safe spaces in Kharkiv during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Additionally, in Lille, the YermilovCentre’s art director Natalia Ivanova opened an exhibition on 11 February at the public space L’Aéronef, in collaboration with the cultural-humanitarian association Portail de l’Ukraine. The exhibition brought together 25 contemporary Ukrainian artists who, through their artistic practices, reimagined the urban spaces of Kharkiv and Lille. The exposition presented a series of visual works combining digital graphics, photography, and video. This visual journey outlines a shared and imagined urban landscape, strengthening the cultural connection between the sister cities.

During the visit, art director Natalia Ivanova also held productive professional meetings with representatives of the Lille city administration and cultural actors, strengthening and establishing new international connections between the YermilovCentre CSM of Karazin University and the creative and municipal clusters of Lille.