Poetry flashmob at USUST to mark the 155th anniversary of Lesya Ukrainka
To mark the 155th anniversary of the birth of the brilliant poet, playwright, and public figure Lesya Ukrainka, celebrated on February 25, the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies hosted an online flashmob titled ‘Poetry of Destiny’. The initiative brought together students, faculty members, and staff in honoring the creative legacy of one of the most prominent figures in the history of Ukrainian culture.
The online flashmob was organized at the initiative of the museum, library, and student council of the SEI ‘USUCT’. The event was coordinated by Maryna Demidko, director of the museum of history of the SEI ‘USUCT’, specialist of USUST Student Affairs Office, together with Valentyna Babenko head of the university’s Student Affairs Office.
The flashmob was launched at the SEI ‘USUCT’. The first to join the initiative were Uliana Soshchenko, a first-year student of the Faculty of Economics, Humanities and Law, and Oleksandra Sniehur, a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Food and Chemical Technologies. Their sensitive and thoughtful recitations of Lesya Ukrainka’s poetry set the tone for the flashmob.
Over the course of two weeks, students from various educational and scientific institutes of the university actively joined the poetic initiative. In total, 25 poetic works by Lesya Ukrainka were presented as part of the flashmob, performed by students of the SEI ‘USUCT’, ‘PSAPCS’, ‘PSACEA’, ‘DMI’, ‘DIIT’.
Along with the students, faculty members and staff of the university also took part in the flashmob. Their favorite poems were recited by Daria Serhiivna Nechepurenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Construction Organization and Management at the SEI ‘PSACEA’, Maryna Anatoliivna Radul, leading librarian of the Sectoral Collections Department of the library of the SEI ‘DMI’; and Nataliia Viktorivna Sukhoivan, head of the Center for Cultural Activities at the SEI ‘PSAPCS’and specialist of the USUST Student Affairs Office, who performed two poetic works.
A distinctive component of the flashmob was the presentation of original poems dedicated to Lesya Ukrainka. These were authored and performed by Maryna Chernikova, a first-year student of the Faculty of Architecture at the SEI ‘PSACEA’, and Nina Dolmatova, head of a sector of the Scientific Library at the SEI ‘DIIT’.
The flashmob concluded on February 25 – the birthday of Lesya Ukrainka, which is also recognized in Ukraine as Ukrainian Women’s Day.
On the final day, poetic recitations were delivered by Yelyzaveta Misiurenko, a student of FCS/A7-25-2B group at, a multiple European and international champion, Candidate Master of Sport of Ukraine, a Kyokushin karate athlete and black belt holder; as well as Evelina Hrom, a student of FV/A7-25-2B group and Candidate Master of Sport in ballroom dancing from the SEI ‘PSAPCS’.
The online flashmob ‘Poetry of Destiny’ became a vivid example of how the university community, through the power of poetry, preserves cultural memory, upholds national values, and fosters a space in which Ukrainian classical literature remains vibrant, relevant, and meaningful to young people.