13.5.2025 | Culture

Ukrainian Art Festival Held Across Tallinn

Text Stewart Johnson 
Photos Siim Loog, UKUfest

Estonia’s first festival dedicated to contemporary Ukrainian art is intended to show support for this country as it continues to battle for its own existence. Located in several participating venues throughout the city of Tallinn, UKUfest 2025 features art, photography, videos, sculpture, music, and more.

Fotografiska will feature an exhibition by Tanja Ruda, a visual artist whose work focuses largely on the human body. Her work however has been transformed against the backdrop of war, and now focuses on the body as an act of survival, resistance, and memory.

The Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Centre will host an exhibition by Pavlo Mazai, a photographer based in Kyiv. His work serves as a mirror for Ukrainian culture, history, and the contemporary realities of war.

The Temnikova & Kasela Gallery features an exhibition by Daria Koltsova, a contemporary artist whose work includes installations, performance art, and videos. Her work reflects the impact of war, and explores the possibilities for defence and resilience.

The Truus Art Gallery hosts an exhibition by Polina Kuznetsova, whose work can be described as a kaleidoscope. It examines and fuses complex themes such as identity, homeland, and human relationships using colours and formats that have deep resonation.

The ArtDepoo Gallery features artist Maya Kolesnik, whose work is described as visual poetry, telling stories of identity, cultural heritage, and personal experience.

There will be a concert on 15 May at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre featuring the Estonian debut of Ukrainian composers. The same day will also see a Ukrainian youth photography exhibition titled “Phantom in Exile” at the Põhjala Factory.

There will also be other events and exhibitions. Find out more about UKUfest 2025 here!