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Nekonečná Piesen (1994)

Ukraine, Slovakia and Warhol 

EUROVISION COUNTRY: Slovakia
KYIV DESTINATION: Pinchuk Modern Arts Centre

Why is this Warhol-esque T-shirt showing "Ukrainian Borshcht"?
How is Slovakia linked to Ukraine?
One explanation from the Kyiv makers of this T-shirt is: Warhol was Ukrainian.
Really?
Well like all romances: "It's complicated".
Please bear with us:
1. Warhol was born in the USA.
2. His parents were from Slovakia.
3. But their ethnic group was Ruthenian.
4. Ruthenians are followers of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
5. Ergo, Warhol is Ukrainian and Slovakia is linked inextricably to Ukraine.
6. Welcome to the world of tenuous East European historical claims!
However: Some Slovako-Ukrainian facts:
Slovakia and Ukraine are neighbours and share a border.
There are up to 100,000 people of Ukrainian background in Slovakia. Ruthenians now self-identify themselves as "Rusyns", a term which relates back to Kyiv.
Between WWI and WWII parts of current-day Ukraine were parts of Czechoslovakia.
However, Warhol's family home was never part of Ukraine.
The village was however famous for being the taxidermy centre of Europe!
This year a Ukrainian village in that region renamed October Square, Andy Warhol Square, in recognition of his "Ukrainian roots".

Modern Art in Kyiv
If you want to see cutting modern art in Kiev then you could check out the Pinchuk Arts Centre http://pinchukartcentre.org/en/about_us/mission.
The centre is located in the Arena Centre at 1/3, Velyka Vasilkivska St.
It is open Tuesday- Sunday 12.00-21.00.
It has exhibitions of international 21st century art.
Do you know of any other Slovak links to Ukraine?
Slovak embassy: 
Address: 34, Yaroslaviv Val, 01901 Kyiv
Tel: (+380) 44 272
Website: https://www.mzv.sk/web/kyjev

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