The proper upbringing of children is of primordial importance for a country’s development. This was what motivated the organizers of the competition “My Best Country,” launched on June 1 as part of the Traditions project of cultural initiatives. The organizers welcome children aged under 15, from all over Ukraine, to talk about their country – the best in the world – the way they see it and the way they want it to be.
My Best Country is a nationwide competition of children’s art, with pictures reflecting memories, dreams, and expectations.
“Our project is meant to show Ukraine as seen by our children. The project will end with us building a map of Ukraine incorporating details and fragments of children’s drawings and paintings. The jury will name the winners in every oblast, so the way this oblast will look on the map will depend on the winners’ pictures,” explains project coordinator Yurii SMERTYHA.
Symbolically, the competition began on the International Children’s Day and it will end on August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day. The closing ceremony will take place in downtown Lviv, with experts from the Book of Records of Ukraine and Guinness World Records present. Submission deadline is July 31, whereupon the pictures will be examined by a jury led by Yevhen Beznisko, Merited Artist of Ukraine, laureate of the Shevchenko Prize.
“We have cooperated with him in the project ‘How We Respect Ukrainian Traditions.’ Beznisko is tasked with selecting the rest of the creative jury. This way the organizers will have nothing to do with the assessment of children’s works and the determination of winners — it is important that every oblast will have one, so this project has a uniting potential rather than a competitive spirit,” says Smertyha.
My Best Country will help surmount barriers and establish contacts between children from various regions. All who wish to do so can take part in the holding of this competition, help with the arrangements, finance, or promotion. The organizers welcome children from all over Ukraine to vie in this competition and take part in the final stage in Lviv.
