Olivia Tiomkin Douglas (far left) and Eileen Shaw (second from left) in Kremenchug. Photograph by Press Service of the Kremenchug City Council.
“Tiomkin Days 2013 in Kremenchug” took place in mid-May and Olivia Tiomkin and Eileen Shaw traveled to from the U.K. for the festivities.
After arriving at the Kiev Airport, they were transported to Kremenchug where they were greeted by Deputy Mayor Vitalie Maletsky and his assistants in traditional Ukranian style complete with gifts of flowers and bread and salt.
They also met the Mayor of Kremenchug, Oleg Babaev, and received flowers and precious gifts from him together with a certificate and badge from Kremenchug, illustrated books on the city, and a beautiful oil painting of the first moving picture house in Kremenchug, dedicated to Tiomkin.
RELATED: Tiomkin days in Kremenchug festival report, August 2013
Olivia was also presented a certificate naming her Honorary President of the International young pianists – improvisors competition named in Memory of Dimitri Tiomkin. She met three of the winners and heard them play music both at the concert on Sunday and later at the Jazz Club. At a local synagogue they received a warm welcome from the Rabbi and his assistants.
Re-enactment of the battle between the Cossacks and Turks. Photograph by the Press Service of the Kremenchug City Council.
“I enjoyed every moment of the performance of the Reconstruction of the Battle between the Turks and Cossacks on the beach,” said Olivia after, “and I was deeply moved when I was presented, as was Eileen, with gifts which had been blessed in a church.” On the same afternoon they enjoyed seeing the performances of the young people from Kremenchug in the open air theatre in the park, and looking at the stalls populated by students of several colleges and schools in Kremenchug.
A Historical Society docent guided them on a walking tour of Kremenchug and they received a special edition, in English, of the History of Kremenchug.
On Sunday, the roundtable was a most interesting event, with talks from many distinguished people. They were treated to a theatrical performance and concert of Tiomkin’s music in the Palace of Culture performed by the Poltava orchestra. “It is something that I never dreamed that I would ever witness,” remarked Olivia.
VIDEO: Tiomkin Days 2013 on Ukrainian television news:
VIDEO: Tiomkin Days 2013 on Ukrainian television, Kremenchug news, May 17, 2013:
Thanks to Iryna Kats, Natalia Leschenko, Ihor Leschenko, Vladimir Solianik, the Executive Committee of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Kremenchug, the Poltava Regional State Administration Department of Culture, and the National Union of Composers of Ukraine, including the Poltava regional branch, for supporting the festival and piano competition held in April.
Olivia Tiomkin Douglas (center) with Natalia Leschenko (left) and Ihor Leschenko (right). Photograph by Roman Butrimov.