29 June, 2007 Danube Day in Ukraine

In June 29, 2007 in Vylkove, Оdesa Oblast the celebration of the International Danube Day was held for the third time.

Actions were organized by All-Ukrainian Environmental NGO "MAMA-86", GO "MAMA-86-Tatarbunary", Danube Biosphere Reserve (Vylkove), Ecological club "Danube" (Vylkove), Youth Danube club (Vylkove), Odesa Ecological university (Odesa), Vernadskiy Youth Ecological center (Odesa), Ecological NGO "Zhavoronok" (Kilia), Ecological NGO "Eko-Ren'" (Reni), South-Ukrainian organization "Dobraya volya" (Ismail) and with financial support of Coca-Cola Beverages Ukraine Ltd and by the support of Odesa Oblast State Administration and Administration for Culture and Tourism of Odesa DSA. 32 members of these organizations were involved in preparation and conducting of this celebration.

The purpose of the celebration which was held under the motto "Celebrate of Danube Cultures!" was to attract the attention of local population and the government to the unique cultural and natural heritage of Danube Delta and demonstrate traditions of indigenes living in Prydunavje.

In June 27—29, 2007 informational tours by yacht and bicycles "Odesa-Vylkove" were carried out. Bicycle tour passed throught 17 settlements of Odesa Oblast. 8 young bicyclists took part in it. During stops bicyclists disseminated information materials, both about Danube Day celebration and about this year theme "Celebrate the Danube cultures!"

In June 27, 2007 "Akatsia" yacht went from Odessa to Vylkove and passed 270 kilometres along the Black Sea coast and Danube delta. The yacht crew included the members of Odesa yachtsmen association "Odesa 200". Bright poster "29 June — International Danube Day" with ICPDR and "Coca-Cola" logotypes and flags of the association and "Newman" firm which also was a sponsor of this event were hanged on board.

Participants of bicycle tour and yachtsmen were dressed in T-shirts presented by "Coca-Cola" with its symbols. In June, 29 they arrived to Vylkove on the official opening of Danube Day festival at 16.00 to. All guests of holiday gladly met yachtsmen and bicyclists under the sounds of orchestra.

In June, 29 festival "Celebrating Danube Cultures!" began with open-air public festival in old part of city. Near 3000 guests and local inhabitants took part in Danube Day celebration.The tourists from Odesa and 3 Black sea resorts of Tatarbunary and Kilia districts arrived to marine passenger terminal since 9.00. They were pleased with this place decorated by flags of 13 Danube countries and a large banner "29 June — International Danube Day". It was the most popular place for the visitors to make pictures for memory about the festival. Seven volunteers of Youth Danube club dressed in the "Coca-Cola" T-shirts disseminated the informative materials such as: the last issues of newspaper "Delta and Chelovek", "Wreath of Danube Nations and Cultures" and "CULTURES", leaflets, flyers and booklet "Danube is the River of Life" and etc. prepared by local organizations as well as ICPDR.

Both "Saliks" and "Pelican-tour" tourist companies offered boating on Danube to all guests. Each boat held 10 persons and maguna held 35 persons. In addition, tourist firm "Saliks" organized the free boating on two boats for 150 guests of holiday. One of the boats had an electric engine. TV-reporters and invited authorities had possibility to realise the advantages of trip on of boat with an ecological electric engine.

In addition hospitable local inhabitants boated the guest with pleasure. The yacht "Akacia" also has not remained without attention of participants of a holiday. Those who wish could get aboard a yacht and had a short journey. Guests boated on a main water street of town — the Belgorod channel and Kilia streambed of Danube which is a water border between Ukraine and Romania, where Danube Day was celebrated too.

The doors of visit center of the Danube Biosphere Reserve (DBR) were opened for the guests of festival from 9.00 a.m. During June before the festival this centre was visited by the groups of children from Odesa Oblast free of charge. 200 children-orphans from the Ternopil oblast visited center. Only in June, 29 the center of DBR was visited by 200 persons.

There was an exhibition of the local painter Oleksandr Sharonov who demonstrated life and traditions of indigenes living by Prydunavya. The festival guests had possibility to see and to buy souvenirs from natural materials, which were presented by Vilkivo House of Children's Art, tour firm "Saliks", Pridunayskiy tourist center, and also reproduction paints of the painter O.Sharonova. The holiday was marked by opening of the Fisherman Museum by tourist firm "Saliks". The representative of DEF in Ukraine O. Rubel has cut the tape solemnly. Grand Concert was the main event of festival. It took place on marine passenger terminal. Before the concert from 16:00 sounded music preformed by the national wind band from the neighbouring town Kilia.

150 representatives of government and non-governmental organizations of Odesa Oblast were invited on a Danube day celebration. Guests were hospitably met by local inhabitants and served by fish soup, Danube herring and local wine "Novak".

Since 6 p.m the Grand concert continued the celebration. where 11 national folk groups from Kilia, Izmail and Bolgrad districts took part. Approximately 290 artists participated in concert. And about 1000 guests and local residents attended it. Zimchenko Nataliya, Interim Head of Vylkovo City Council and Oleg Rubel, the representative of Danube Ecological Forum (DEF), member of expert group on navigation at ICPDR made the opening speeches and congratulated all participants with Danube Day.

Under the melody "Wreath of Danube" the representatives of all folk art groups in bright-color dresses of different Danube nationalities who participated in the concert, plaited the "wreath of friendship" — flowers garland and put it on the water as a gift to the River.

After the concert young people continued to celebrate and dance on disco at night in open air. The bright celebration of Danube Day 2007 was completed by fest firework.

Now (from 20 till 30 July) a youth ecologo-culturological expedition "Zadunayska sich" is going on. Both students and senior pupils from 6 districts of Odesa Oblast as well as guests and representatives of other organizations from following cities: Zhytomyr, Sumy (Ukraine) and Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia (Russian rivers network) are taking part in this expedition. All participants have got T-shirts (100) presented by "Coca-Cola".

Information and mass media work Newspapers "Delta and Chelovek" were published (two editions, 1000 copies of each), newspaper "The Ecological Skrynka", flyer cards "Wreath of Danube Nations and Cultures", poster "Owners of Danube", film "Danube Day" (1 minute), advertisement film for the DBR visitors of visit-center and information CD were prepared for the Danube day awareness raising work.

In September, it is planned to disseminate information and educational materials in high schools and institutes, libraries (rural, city and region) and departments of culture of Rayon State Administrations (500 copies) of 5 districts of Pridunav’ya (Kilia, Ismail, Reni, Bolgrad, Tatarbunary districts).

Besides, Regional Center on Dissemination of Ecological Knowledge of Odesa State Ecological University (RCDEK OSEU) will continue information work in Odesa city and oblast based on Danube Day 2007 info materials.

Preparation of the DD 2007 celebration included significant work in mass media. The short informational film (1 min) about Danube has already been broadcasted in the TV. The advertisement film was broadcasted in the local cable television (in four regions) and in two regional TV channels "Zdorovie", "GLAS".

500 invitation flyers were disseminated for the event in the oblast. The heads of Odesa oblast and 5 rayons received official invitations. Festival Announcement (500 copies) was disseminated in five neighbouring cities and three resorts.

Preparation works for the Danube Day 2007 celebration were headed at oblast and local levels by:

Vykhrystyuk Irina — the coordinator of "Danube Day" project, who represented "MAMA-86-Tatarbunary". Address: Timoshenko str., 42, Tatarbunary city, Odessa Oblast, 68100 Ukraine.
Balatska Tetyana — Head of Youth Danube club (Vylkove).
Chorna Tetyana — Vernadskiy Youth Ecological center (Odesa).
Malykh Larisa — Ecological NGO "Zhavoronok" (Kilia).
Kichuk Yaroslav — Head of South-Ukrainian organization "Dobraya volya" (Izmail).
Skachek Andrey — Odesa yachtsmen association "Odesa 200".
Shadurko Denis — bicyclists group leader.