I am at “Master Klass”,
a cultural centre and language school in central Kyiv. The performance
of Henry Purcell’s 1691 opera “King Arthur” is one of several cultural
events I have been to there including concerts and a film club.
The unassuming Brits (you know who you are!) behind Master Klass and
the opera are amongst the innumerable UK citizens I have met during four
years in Ukraine. As well as the business people about whom I’ve often
written they include technical assistance experts, language centre
managers and teachers, artists, charity workers, architects and
construction experts (including those working on the new Chornobyl Safe Confinement),
accountants, newspaper proprietors and journalists, lawyers and
practically anyone else you can think of. They can be found in Kyiv,
Cherkassy, Donetsk, Lviv, Odesa and other towns and cities large and
small. Many of them, like the people at Master Klass, are contributing
to the community in their spare time, doing everything from organising
charity balls and Scottish country dancing to promoting children’s
rugby. It’s a great thing to see.
It has been a pleasure for me to work with a lively and vibrant
community which has contributed so much to Ukrainian society. Good luck
to all of you.
