Summer of Growth: UFDA’s Latest Achievements

Summer 2025 was a truly exciting season for UFDA!

We digitized hundreds of works, welcomed new artists, and expanded our community presence through conversations and collaborations. Let’s take a closer look at what we’ve achieved together.

This summer, UFDA’s online catalogue has grown significantly and now features more than 3,600 works!

Among the newly digitized pieces are works by Zakhar Shevchuk, Krystyna Melnyk, Olena Topolian, Dmytro Krasnyi, Anastasiia Pustovarova, Vladyslav Riaboshtan, and many more remarkable Ukrainian artists.

In total, UFDA digitized more than 20 oil paintings by Zakhar Shevchuk, 14 works by Krystyna Melnyk, 9 by Olena Topolian, 3 by Dmytro Krasnyi, 13 by Anastasiia Pustovarova, 19 works by Svitlana Ahranovska, and 5 large-scale works by Vladyslav Riaboshtan.

Moreover, we digitized over 150 artworks by our newly joined artists!

UFDA continues its mission to preserve and showcase Ukrainian art — and our family of artists keeps growing. By summer’s end, our roster reached 70 artists!

We’re proud to welcome Elmira Shemsedinova, Sasha Demyter, Oleksandr Kryzhanovskyi, Krystyna Kikhno, and Yaroslav Leonets to the UFDA community.

Elmira Shemsedinova explores painting as a medium of visual communication, continuously reinventing classical traditions through contemporary techniques. Distinguishably, Elmira developed a unique and original approach by using a technique that imitates watercolor painting with oil paints.

Sasha Demyter, a member of the Youth Association of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, draws from a wide range of influences. Most notably, the French post-impressionist group Les Nabis and the British school of painting — especially the precise, contemplative works of Euan Uglow and Diarmuid Kelley — have deeply shaped his visual language..

Oleksandr Kryzhanovskyi works in painting, graphics, and sculpture, continuously refining his conceptual approach. He explores the individual as a social entity shaped by deep-seated archetypal and subconscious forces, often in conflict with externally imposed rational structures.

Krystyna Kikhno is a young Ukrainian artist whose works explore existential questions through painting, graphics, and photography. Her style is marked by a subdued, earthy palette, transparent layers, and compositions infused with emotional delicacy.

Yaroslav Leonets creates original works in landscape, portrait, and genre composition, working across realism, impressionism, and expressionism. His versatility is reflected in his exploration of different styles and favorite genres.

Beyond digitization, UFDA expanded its voice through media projects.

We published deep and engaging discussions with leading artists and cultural figures, including Waone Interesni Kazki, AEC Interesni Kazki, Anton Reznikov, and, most recently, Peter Doroshenko, Director of the Ukrainian Museum in New York.

Our first season of podcasts brought together some of the most influential voices shaping Ukrainian contemporary culture. Guests included Maria Isserlis, Vitalii Kravets, Sofiia Holubeva, Ksenia Malykh, Petro Bevza, Sergiy Melnychenko, Sana Shahmuradova, Leonid Marushchak, and many others. These conversations were raw, urgent, and inspiring.

UFDA also took part in the first Lviv Bitcoin Meetup, held in Lviv (July 6) and Kyiv (July 10, 2025) — marking our presence at the intersection of culture, technology, and community building.

We also organized a hands-on online event to help artists take their first steps into Web3 by creating their own crypto wallets

This summer was a season of growth, collaboration, and discovery. With a larger catalogue, an expanding community of artists, and an active role in media and cultural conversations, UFDA is more determined than ever to preserve Ukrainian art and share it with the world.