What do you need yo found a great initiative? At first, you need desire abd inspiration, but it wouldn’t be enough if you have no rooms ir a team
«Around the cultural space» is a place which will become a centre of lots of the initiatives very quickly. And the head of it us Elijah Hrutzaniyk-a public activist with an experience abd an amount of creative ideas

«…When I was studying in the 11-th form in Ukraine was introducing a student self-government, and I understood that I should start changes on my own level. At thst time I was Ok with a format of attracting students to school activities or celebrating holidays. I couldn’t understand for what sake to gather people in a bug hall for a «useless point»,if we just could do something that is really interesting for students. Self-government is an instrument due to which we can change something in schools and other educative institutions. It just gave a push for us yo make decisions on our level. Then we started to decide ourselves which activities to do and what to create»

«Normal people are those who have two arms, two legs and a head on their shoulders. Those who aren’t spitting by their feet and do not throw rubbish all around themselves,they do not say that someone is guilty ,that the government is bad. Those who cross the road where they have to. Normal people are those who respect each other and want to live on their native land. To live good. And they do everything for living good»

«I was changed vy the Orange Revolution in 2004. I was 17 and that elections were my first voting. At that time I understood: when you don’t have choice-it is really scary. People have to live in a free country, where they speak freely and say aloud. I want it this way. And when the majority says it, so it must be this way»

«A human being all in all can avoid lots of things. I am not an exception, but maybe I couldn’t live without coffee and the internet. And internet is not an amusement for me, but a way to communicate with the world. And maybe I couldn’t live without a possibility to come out to the street and do whatever I want, without the freedom of any gatherings and freedom of speech-these things are very important for me. Watching what is going on in the «parallel reality»- in the neighbouring countries, when people get imprisoned just for clapping their hands and bringing paper ships, you understand how scary it is. For this we were standing in 2014 and fir this we will stand forever»

«When Ira (Elijah’s wife) and I were planning our family, we clearly understood that we have different intentions in some ways, that we worked on different questions and on different public activities. I was always interested in eco and art, Ira in some educational issues, especially about an informal education. We clearly understood all these, and accepted our choices and respected each other. Now I am realky proud of any Ira’s success, well I am always when someone reaches hus/her goal»

«We do not have any strict division of responsibilities at home: who can do something,so he/she does it. I do not consider myself a feminist,but I am always for an equal rights of women and men. I don’t know if I’m ready to go out and claim something, but people must do that they can and want,but not what they are meant to do by any social stereotypes»

«I can cook, bake….pies, pizza, it goes great in my hands. I like to cook potatoes with salo:its when you put Sali on a huge metal circle and roast,then add potatoes and dome vegetables. It is very delicious! Also I like to cook kylish. We have tried lots of different recipes, but niw we stick to that one that we like the best»

«We do not punish our kids, we just explain ehat is good and what is bad. If something can be done without any harm to the so we let her ti do it by herself. We agreed frim the very beginning that sockets and electrical appliances are not for games»

«Several I made remarks to the parents who were ragging their kids on the street,but the reaction was very negative. And this is what I can’t stand snd I can do nothing with it»

«We were sad a lot because we had no normal independent concert ground in Zhytomyr. No place where to learn hiw to play. We went, we searched, we observed lots of places, but there was nothing suitable. Only abandoned buildings full of rubbish. And then we net people who told us about a building, where «Around the cultural space» was situated at that moment. We told about all the problems that we faced. We agreed about the price and went on. We weren’t cold in winter,we had water, light and what is the most important-we have attracted lots of cool people»

«I do really appreciate when people love the world and everything that surrounds them. Then they do nothing bad»

«There us a clear definition of the corruption-it is a trespass of your official position in your own goals. Actually, it is a very big meaning, because corruption doesn’t concern only people who are near the government. Corruption can be seen everywhere. Of course,it is very hard to fight it on the household level,but to do it on the country levrl it us really possible. And people have ti understand not obly their rights but also the division of responsibilities in the country. It is important to understand how money cone to the country, because country is not just sn abstract meaning, it’s a part of us,as we pay for the service and get it, and to rob ourselves is illogically. It will take long years,27 is not enough, especially after 70 years of occupation, tip-offs from the neighbors, total extermination of the Ukrainian elite. Maybe when our children will grow up, they will understand that they have to enrich what they have. So then we will live normally»

«Once I wasn’t accepted to a school choir and then I have lost an interest fir music for very long time. Then a guitar appeared in my life, I ve learnt how to pksy but it too much time, and even there I had lots of public activities to do. So then appeared a drum and percussion, which took not so many time to master them. I ve learnt everything and in several years I could play on an elementary level»

«Vylba»( from the Ukrainian «vyluchni barabanu») it is a festival that began in 2007 as a movement of people who had drums. We started to gather together snd learn how to play and in 2008 we decided to make an «open air». It was the first testing festival in Denushi where we played the drums for more than a day. We enjoyed it! So we agreed about the date and we gather together for many years. Then besides other musicians lots of other artists joined the festival. They didn’t know each other in an everyday life, but they create music together. At first it was a «hooray» initiative, but now it is a real project. We have a team that work on a festival. Our goal is to attract people to a common creativity. Now when festival takes place in a town, we pay our attention more to the master classes and drum circles fir people not only watch others play but to try themselves in different activities. We always welcome everyone and praise. The kids really enjoy the drum circles and even parents buy them drums to play! And it is the best motivation»

«At the moment we have two projects: festival «Vylba» for people to learn about different instruments, not only classical. It is a lical initiative, but we are keen on inviting people from other regions. There is a dream to make «Vylba» an international fest because we have visitors only from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Ternopil, Odessa. When we did it in the forest we had guests from Russia, Belorussia and even from sn English-speaking countries. The second trend of the fest is a professional musical group. At first, we played useless snd we understood: if we are invited snd people love our music, so we must do it professionally. We thoughts of the forms, compositions, added more instruments-we use synthesizer, a normal drum set. So now we have quite a professional group»

«It is hard to distinguish my music idols. At school I used to listen «Pink Floyd» and «Depeche Mode». It is that I really like even now. And «Aquarium» is a real cool music, and every album us different. When you take albums from different years, so they are really different-in sound, in filling, in instruments, and sometimes even in style. There are lots of Ukrainian groups but «Bratu Hadiykinu» is that I will always like. From the new-«Latexfauna», «Tuk Tu» etc»

«For a group to live long there must be a motivation, firstly inner, for all to like music and have common language. If a group comes to the rehearsal twice a week,so people are the strangers abd the group will break. When people have lived through all the troubles together, created music, so the group will live for a long time»

«I like the fest «ATOM». As for me, it is not only a musical activity it is a party, where you can learn something new, to hear new sounds, their mix, to see new technologies, how people work. This year «ATOM» took place in «Around the cultural space» and I was involved in its organisation»

«Once I was involved in a scout movement-plast. In 2009 we organised workshops in Zhytomyr. Then there was a break, because I understood that I can’t do that fully: if you do something, you must do it the best. Now «Plast» is very popular again and I am happy of this»

«I like all the people. All the people are cool, while they live at home by their own rules, or in the world-by general rules. When there stars pretensions to someone’s else, I don’t like it at all»

«I always think of different initiatives which take place anywhere, especially when country money are given, not only because of their coolness or a high status, but also because of the listeners. For instance, «ATOM» is very expensive festival and in Ukraine there is only one fest with the level and status. It is really great for a town where live 300000 of people to be visited by singers from Europe, Japan and show all the future trends»

«I think Zhytomyr must become a cultural capital of Ukraine or at least of the North of Ukraine. I see our town green, active in the future. The town is developing and so the people: citizens stopped spitting on the Mukhailuvska street, stopped throwing litter. Of course, someone continues doing this but the surrounding changes people»