President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska, together with First Ladies and Gentlemen from other countries, took part in the opening of the interactive cultural and educational space Garden of Sophianity, created specifically for the Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.
The name of the exhibition comes from the term “Sophianity,” which describes a Ukrainian way of interacting with reality during a crisis. The concept of Sophianity as a philosophy of resilience was proposed by Ukrainian scholars. Alongside 37 other concepts and practices of resilience, it is included in the Global Vocabulary of Resilience.
Guests had an opportunity to explore the historical and contemporary cultural objects that fill the Garden of Sophianity:
Entrance Area “Sophianity. Mosaic” presents a thousand-year tradition of mosaic art, from the smalt mosaics of St. Sophia of Kyiv dating back to the 11th century to 20th-century monumentalism and contemporary works.
“Forms of Resilience” features icons on glass, Hutsul triple-candlestick holders, Yavoriv toys, traditional chests, as well as contemporary artistic responses to the war – icons by Oleksandr Klymenko and Sofia Atlantova painted on boards from ammunition crates.
“Imagination. Ukrainian Bestiary” is a space dedicated to the bestiary in folklore, decorative painting, ceramics and the imagery of Maria Prymachenko.
“Practice. Block Printing” is a space for hand block-printing on fabric using techniques dating back to the 17th–19th centuries, where each guest can create an ornament by hand.
“Memory. Vytynanka” is an area dedicated to the memory of the renowned monumental vytynanka artist Daria Alyoshkina, who passed away prematurely on August 15, 2026. Visitors can create their own vytynanka using original templates prepared by Daria.
“Senses. Scents of Ukraine” is an aromatic map of our country, featuring wild herbs and other scents from Zakarpattia, the Carpathians, Polissia, Podillia, the Black Sea region, the steppe, forests and the Azov Sea region.
“Diversity. Ceramic Map of Ukraine” is an installation bringing together diverse regional traditions, from the Crimean Tatar Örnek ornament by Rustem Skybin to Podilian, Slobozhanshchyna and Vasylkiv ceramics.
“A garden is a metaphor for culture: it is not enough simply to declare it ‘heritage’ – it must be supported. A garden does not grow on its own: it lives as long as people care for it. Knowledge, skills, memory and forms live when they are used, tested, mastered, changed and passed on. That is why Ukraine is fighting while continuing to nurture the garden of its culture,” the First Lady said.
The project was implemented in partnership with the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?” and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, with the support of the Zagoriy Foundation.