The boxing brothers are rumored to be bringing some serious stars to Kyiv to help launch their new club Arena, and OE's Vakarchuk joins OU.
darin Plaza hasn’t formally opened yet, but it’s fully functioning nonetheless, having recently hosted a few private parties for some of Kyiv’s most elite citizens. These parties have set the stage for what will surely be an even bigger opening party.
Typically of a city in which bigger is always considered better, the rumors circulating about the gala opening of Arena are already fantastic. Word is that brothers Vitali and Volodymyr Klitschko, the co-owners of the club, will host a major kick-off party sometime in December featuring a lineup of local and international sporting stars. Names being thrown around include AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko, former international heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis and Formula 1 Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher. Despite the Klitschkos’ incredible drawing power, take these rumors with a grain of salt.
Vakarchuk to Advise Candidate on Youth Issues
Add yet more star power to the opposition’s presidential campaign: Our Ukraine leader and presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko has appointed Okean Elzy lead singer Svyatoslav Vakarchuk as his adviser on youth policy.
Oleh Medvedev, the director of Yushchenko’s press center, made the announcement on Nov. 11 at a press conference in Kyiv. He added that the appointment reflects Vakarchuk’s political views, but will not be a long-term position. Vakarchuk stated he will step down following the run-off election on Nov. 21, which is between Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
Vakarchuk, who wore black clothes and an orange scarf at the press conference, explained his active participation in the campaign by saying, “I think that my voice and the voices of honest people are important to the country.” He also said that his decision to join the campaign began in earnest when he witnessed the outcome of the first round of the elections, which he believes was not conducted in a manner acceptable in civilized countries.
Vakarchuk, who joins the likes of VV lead singer Oleh Skrypka and Tartak front man Sashko Polozhynsky in the Yushchenko camp, is hopeful that the determined opposition leader will score a convincing victory in the second round.
“We will do everything to ensure victory and win via beautiful, civilized, and honest methods,” Vakarchuk said.
On an unrelated note, look for a new Okean Elzy album this spring. The material for the new album, which the band has already prepared for studio sessions, will debut for Russian audiences during their November and December tour dates north of the border.
Keiko Matsui Sets December Date for Kyiv
Mark your calendars – Japanese jazz pianist Keiko Matsui has booked a return date in Kyiv, set for December 18 at the Zhovtnevy Palace concert hall.
Fans of this sparkling talent surely caught her performance here last year at this time, and her return is premised on the release of her latest album, “Wallflower,” which debuted in the United States earlier this year. Her style is very expressive and emotional, though tending to the gentler, new wavy feel of “smooth” jazz. Tickets for Matsui’s return concert have been kept at a pretty decent level, too – top price is Hr 350 – which reflects this rising star’s desire to be accessible to her ever-widening fan base. Also, given the change of venue from Ukraine Palace to the smaller, more intimate Zhovtnevy Palace, Matsui fans will better appreciate her intense artistic focus.
