By this action “MAMA-86” supported the initiative of colleagues from Environmental NGO “My land” and the Club of organic farming of city Zaporizhzhia, who have been conducting such eco-actions with this title for four years.

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine and the largest city located upstream of all other Ukrainian towns on the Dnieper, but the River flows to Ukraine from Russia and Belarus and we — Kievans live downstream too. Shared responsibility, solidarity and cooperation for rehabilitation of the Dnieper were the main ideas of the action.

Now, more than ever, it is necessary to change our consumer attitude to water, value the gift of nature, treat the Dnieper with love and gratitude, and act for the improvement of the river health and for our own clean-up.

The action was attended by over 200 Kyiv residents and guests: kids and school children, students and young mothers and fathers, elderly, but all who contributed to this unusual NGO’s action, had got a charge of good and pure emotions and a lot of nice memories of the Dnieper Day 2013 on Obolon embankment.

The authorities, organizers and partners opened the event and welcomed the participants. Olexii Chunarev, Deputy Head of the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine, who already saw the photo-exhibition “River Lybid” drew attention of the participants to its prologue: “Remember, if you are not a part of the solution, you are the part of the problem!”

Nataliia Sofronova and Anna Safronova, initiators of action “To the Dnieper with Love!”, guests from Zaporizhzhia and representatives of NGO “My Land” also greeted the action’s participants. They warmly welcomed Kievans who are willing to work for Dnieper’s rehabilitation and brought to Kiev “clay gifts” with effective microorganisms from Zaporizhzhia.

Executive Director UNENGO “MAMA-86”— Zoriana Mishchuk greeted everybody with Dnieper Day. She also expressed the hope that the celebration of the Dnieper Day finally will be officially recognized as the International Dnieper Day by all Dnieper countries and will be held with appropriate solemnity and respect to the Great River that ensures life and development of our countries and now needs cooperation of citizens and governments of neighbouring countries in order to protect and rehabilitate Dnieper.

Deputy Director of the Water Museum, long-term partner of UNENGO “MAMA-86” and co-organizer of many joint actions, Alexander Beregovoi in his welcome speech stressed that one has to value water and protect natural resources of the Dnieper, save water in their own homes. He also invited everybody to visit the Museum to learn how to save water and do not harm the nature.

Action in Kiev became an example of cooperation and solidarity for the time being of two Dnieper cities — Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv for the recovery of Great River, setting up specific ethno-eco-actions aimed at raising respectful attitudes and feelings of love and gratitude to the Dnieper River — one of the main values of our nation.

From the ancient times in traditions, songs and rituals people, who lived along the Great River, respected and valued clean water. Therefore, the action began with games and dances, which were run by a master Pavel Shinkarenko from Information Centre of Creators of Ancestral Estates (ICCAE) that have created a beautiful and cheerful mood and provided inspiration for the next step of the Dnieper’s “gifts” creation.

The material for the realization of wishes was clay, which was used for thousands of years by the people that settled along the banks of the Dnieper River, gave a basis for the Trypillya culture development and now does not lose its role in the life of Ukrainians. Special and valuable properties of clay even now attract scientists and practitioners in various industries.

Friends from ICCAE helped prepare clay for the action. Special thanks for cooperation to Roman Danilenko — the Head of ICCAE.

Balls of white clay from Kyiv and yellow clay from Zaporizhzhia in the hands of participants turned into amazing flowers, fishes, animals, and other wonderful creations.

Everyone who worked with clay had fun, and spiritual treatment while working with this material.

“Gifts” to the Dnieper — variety of clay things created by participants — were solemnly installed in the centre of lawn, around which participants made a large circle for the ceremony of praise and proclamation in honour of the Dnieper, the People, the Earth, the Sun and the Creator.

Joyful and merry ceremony of giving gifts to Dnieper was the culmination of the celebration.

Everyone was trying to throw far off their gifts to the Dnieper and water joyfully received clay wishes. Yellow and white water lilies thankfully rocked on the waves of the Dnieper. The Ukrainian songs over the water were sung quite naturally, what was an impromptu gift from girls — members of Kyiv Junior Academy of Sciences.

During the event a competition on the best drawing with chalk on the plates, that cover the slopes of the embankment, was held. Three brightest images of the young artists were selected and have received awards.

However, none of the other participants of the chalk drawing competition was left without a nice prize.

The awarding ceremony of winners of competition “Say Thank you to Water” was the final stage of the Dnieper Day on Obolon embankment. School children from city Kyiv and guests from town Krasnoarmeisk, Donetsk’s Region — Olena Blyznyuk and her teacher Natalia Semenuyk were among them. More information about competition results can be found at: http://mama-86.org.ua/index.php/uk/watersan/watersan-news/514-say-thanks-to-water-contest-winners.html

The winners received prizes and certificates that were purchased with charitable funds from students of 2J class of Pechersk International School in Kyiv, UNENGO “MAMA-86”, Global Water Partnership — Ukraine (GWP-Ukraine) and Ukraine's citizens. In addition, JSC “Kyivvodokanal” and the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine provided free books for competition winners. Water Museum in Kyiv gave tickets for winners to visit Museum.

During the action as sad black and white stripe the photo exhibition of river Lybid took place.

The author of the exhibition, developer and guide Dmytro Perov, a student of Geography Faculty of Kyiv National University presented the history and today’s life of once glorious river, now turned into a gutter of the city, and Dnieper receives its poisoned waters. Out of 16 kilometres of collectors and encased in concrete channels only few hundred metres of natural part of the river Lybid remain.

Photo exhibition is a chronicle of life of the River in the Big city. The last page of the exhibition — questions to each Kyiv resident and authorities what to do next, whether to remain passive and aggravate the problem or to act and seek solutions.

Organizers of the action “To the Dnieper with Love!” hope that all those who took part in it have made a step toward a solution! We, the people of Kyiv — the city authorities and residents — must think not only about the quality of the water we drink, but also about the problems that Kyiv creates for 30 million compatriots that drink Dnieper water downstream.

Kyiv Action was supported by GWP-Ukraine and in cooperation with NGOs: “My Land”, ICCAE, Society “Order”, the Kiev community “Pocon Roda” of International Centre for Slavic Vedic Culture. Obolon Rayon and Kyiv City State Administrations supported this action.

For further information please contact Anna Tsvietkova: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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