The projects implemented under the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2014-2020 are not just indicators, budgets, reports and payments. Although these are inseparable elements, above all each project hides the specific ideas, values and dreams of people implementing it, as well as the stories of those who benefited from their implementation.

We want to bring some of them closer to you by the "Project stories" – the cycle which presents their more human (but also animal – as in the 1^st, 13^th and 14^th episodes) dimension of our selected projects. We invite you to read!

I think I've always been an actress – at least since I was five years old. I loved to sing and perform in front of adults, standing on a stool. At my grandmother’s, on a village paddock, I would stage theatrical performances with other children, based on my own scripts. Later, such performances took place every Sunday. I would write the lines for roles and distribute them to the children, we would also make the costumes.

Ivanna Eichorn is sure to attract attention in any company – charismatic, confident, she seems to radiate energy. She is able to  persuade with her ideas, organize, support and inspire other creative people. People's House of Chervonohrad, of which she is the director, is always bustling with life, hundreds of children attend various clubs where they have an opportunity to express themselves, perform in front of the public and go on tours.

Ivanna spent her childhood in Sosnivka, a mining town near Chervonohrad. Music school, organization of concerts and shows – she has no doubt that she would connect her life with a creative profession. She chose the Lviv College of Culture, Conducting and choral department, because this way she could not only practice music, but also be able to implement other creative ideas. After finishing the college, she enrolled Rivne Humanities University, on a correspondence basis, because by that time she has already been working at the House of Culture in her native Sosnivka, and also directing the church choir. At the age of 19, she became the deputy director of the House of Culture, and later its director. She created vocal and choreographic ensemble «Chervona Ruta», which is famous today. The next page of her life was Chervonohrad People's House, the director of which she become 7 years ago. Now there are 28 clubs and ensembles (musical, theatrical, dancing etc.) operating here, most of them have received high awards and titles, are well known in Ukraine and abroad. Ivanna is happy that in her work she can combine her love for music and theater, as well as organizational and management skills. She is constantly looking for development and new directions.

Boundaries are just not for me! – Ivanna laughs.

The joint project of K&K:PolUA was special for her and had a great significance for her town. Thanks to the project, a summer stage was built in Chervonohrad,  it becomes the center of its cultural life during a warm season. The joint album published as part of the project, presents local tourist attractions and helps to destroy the stereotype of Chervonograd as an industrial and mining town only. Also, through the workshops and concerts Ukrainian and Polish youth learned more about each other's culture.

However, work on the project was not easy. It was implemented during the pandemic, and later – during a full-scale Russian invasion. Therefore, some planned events had to be transferred to other formats – for example, video recordings of master classes instead of live events and the implementation period extended. But Ivanna can see the bright side in this:

Due to these limitations, we mastered new technologies, which wasn’t bad. Besides, by watching the videos, more people can benefit from our dance and craft workshops even after the project is finished.

Despite everything, joint events have been held as planned. Ukrainian and Polish youth worked together on joint performances rehearsals being held online, and then live. After the rehearsals, they organized games with modern dance moves, socialized, made friends. The children discovered that they have a lot in common with their Polish peers.

At a certain point, we noticed that when we hear any Polish song, we can sing along. We have many similar dance movements, even similar elements of the national costume. At the same time, there is always something we can learn from each other, something new to discover.

After the formal completion of the project activities, cooperation with Polish partners – Księżpol Commune – continued to develop and expand. So, for example, only during the last year ensembles from Chervonohrad had 5 concerts in their region (in Księżpol, Majdan and Biłgoraj), participated in the Festival of Three Cultures. They always received a warm welcome in Poland. Thanks to the help of Polish friends, they managed to raise funds to help the Ukrainian military.

It seems that this project will never end – says Ivanna.

What was planned to be implemented in 12 months turned into a long-term partnership. Work on project activities and reports grew into true friendship. And the efforts spent on children’s education and have impact on their entire lives. Ivanna observes how creative activities help her students to acquire valuable qualities and skills including creativity and non-standard decision-making, which are so important in today's changing world; self-organization and endurance, as well as kindness and willingness to help friends. And the experience of communicating with peers from the other side of the border makes them more open and capable of dialogue.

More information about the K&K:PolUA project can be found here.