site.btaThird Southern Mother Tongue Festival to Be Held in Odesa

The Third Southern Mother Tongue Festival will take place in Odesa on February 22. The event, which begins at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at the International Cultural Centre UNION in Odesa, will bring together representatives from three southern regions of Ukraine - Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson, Yaroslava Reznikova, Head of the Culture, Nationalities and Religions Department at the Odesa Regional Military Administration, told BTA.

The event is organized by the Culture Department of the Odesa Regional Military Administration and the Culture, Nationalities and Religions Department of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

Key topics in a regional dialogue part of the festival will include shared challenges in cultural policy, language as a strategic resource for identity, de-occupation and reintegration processes, and the development of language dynamics.

A panel discussion will address issues related to restoring the linguistic environment after trauma, networking during wartime, and presenting regional language initiatives from Southern Ukraine.

The festival programme will also feature presentations of various languages as symbols of unity, tolerance and cultural diversity in the country.

A musical and poetry concert will be performed by folk ensembles and individual artists representing national cultural associations from the Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odesa regions.