The National Philharmonic Society of Ukraine hosted a reception commemorating the 61st anniversary of the proclamation of the Italian Republic. The event was organized by Ambassador Fabio Fabbri of the Italian Republic to Ukraine. The most important Italian national holiday has been celebrated every year since June 2, 1946, when 55 percent of Italians voted for a republic instead of a monarchy during a referendum. A new Italy was built on republican and democratic principles. This annual holiday is celebrated on a nationwide basis and features parades, folk festivities, concerts, and fireworks displays.
On the eve of the holiday the Italian embassy in Kyiv traditionally stages a reception for fellow diplomats, members of the Ukrainian political elite, businessmen, public figures, noted scientists, and representatives of culture and the arts. The first to greet the guests are the Carabinieri, who salute them. This year there were so many guests that they had to line up to greet His Excellency Ambassador Fabio Fabbri and his wife Lizette Fabbri.
The reception was also an opportunity for the guests to engage in some informal chatting. They included French Ambassador Jean-Paul Veziant and his German counterpart Reinhard Schefers (whose predecessor Dietmar G. Studemann was also present), Minister- Counselor of the Russian Embassy Vsevolod Loskutov, Ukraine’s Minister of Justice Oleksandr Lavrynovych, Emergency Management Minister Nestor Shufrych, Mykhailo Brodsky, Presidential Advisor and Academician Mykola Zhulynsky, ICTV host Savik Shuster, artist Maria Levytska, and singer Dmytro Popov.
Business, tourism, science, and culture are the spheres that unite the Italian and Ukrainian nations. The Italian Embassy is sponsoring a number of concert tours and creative projects to develop cultural contacts between our two countries. In early May, thanks to diplomats’ efforts, Kyiv residents and guests of the capital saw the first unique exhibit of ancient Roman sculptures from Italian museums. The exhibit will be held at the Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko Art Museum until the end of June. On June 28 opera buffs will enjoy a premiere of Verdi’s Macbeth, staged by Italo Nunziata, an original director, who is known to the Ukrainian public for his resonant production of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at the National Opera.
“We must promote close ties between our countries in regard to various issues, and we shall make every effort in this direction,” Ambassador Fabbri told The Day.
