On the 20th of September, the exhibition "Petrikivka Still Life Painting" was opened at the "Mission" Gallery of the State Cultural Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It was presented by H. E. Dr. Mykola Baltaji, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Bulgaria, Mrs. Lyudmila Dimitrova, Director of the Institute, Mr. Georgi Karastamatov, Head of Department at the Directorate "Eastern Europe and Central Asia" at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the artists that arrived specifically for the case. The event was dedicated to the 26th anniversary of the announcement of the Independence of the country and was attended by ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic missions in Bulgaria, journalists and friends.

The exhibition contains selected works by Valentina Panko, a master of the Petrikivka still life painting, and the young artists - the sisters Anastasia and Roksolana Chudnivec. This Ukrainian folk-style originates from the village of Petrivka and is defined as decorative ornamentation. It originated from the village's still life frescoes and was formed at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Petrikivka's painting reflects the spiritual unity of man and nature. Its compositional symbolism is specific and carries messages according to the elements depicted. For example: a flower bouquet is a primordial image of the flowering tree of life; the frieze symbolizes infinity; the flower is the crown of beauty in nature, its apogeum; the calyx is a symbol of the maiden beauty; the mosquito is of cousin's courage; the oak is of power and masculinity; the bird of harmony, light and happiness.

The unique Petrikivka still life painting is listed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the end of 2013.

Photos: "Diplomatic Spectrum" magazine and State Cultural Institute at the MFA