The festival of Polish culture “Polish Autumn in the Donbas” named after Richard Zelinsky is held for the 11th time in Donetsk. This year it has been decided to dedicate the event to Poland’s independence. This year’s organizers of the festival are the Society of Polish Culture in Donetsk oblast. The artistic festival of the Polish culture by its content helps in further preservation and popularization of the authentic Polish culture, traditions, consolidation of Poles in eastern regions, harmonization of inetrnational relations, assertion of stability and peace between ethnic communities that are living in this area. The festival’s program includes movie screenings, specifically the screening of the documentary Viktor Jelski, directed by Inesa Koretska from Donetsk, a competition of reciters and performances of theater companies. After the festival ends on November 10, the Donetsk Philharmonic society will host a gala concert of the festival with the participation of music ensembles of Poles’ civic organizations in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Apart from that, a pianist from Poland, Martin Dominik Gluch, has been invited to take part in the concert. It should be noted that the Polish diaspora is one of the largest in Donetsk region. The festival of Polish cinema is traditionally held there every year, there are language courses, etc., and Poles in the Donbas have their own press, published in Polish and Ukrainian.
