Olha Kitsmaniuk, a displaced person and head of the Krasnohorivka City House of Culture, knows firsthand about the healing power of art. After evacuating to Zhovti Vody, she gathered children and adults around her to create together. A few months after reopening the “Veselka” Art Studio, Olha’s students presented their works at the local museum and are now preparing for an exhibition abroad.
Olha Kitsmaniuk has led the folk fine and decorative arts studio “Veselka” from Krasnohorivka for over twenty years. Her work goes far beyond teaching drawing — she shares not only technical skills but also a piece of her soul with her students.
The date February 24, 2022, became a turning point for every Ukrainian — and for Olha and her students as well. Early that year, Olha and her family were forced to leave their hometown in Donetsk region and move to Zhovti Vody, the land of unbreakable Cossack spirit. In February 2023, she reopened her studio there. “Veselka” has since become a hub of creativity for both children and adults, many of whom are internally displaced persons. The studio fosters a warm, creative atmosphere where participants develop artistic skills, create works of art, and cope with stress through creativity.
“Drawing during stressful times works like therapy and helps release emotions. Each child chooses a theme to paint that speaks to their heart,” Olha shares.
Today, around 40 children — both locals and displaced — attend the studio. Classes are held four days a week, and all lessons are free of charge. The City Palace of Culture helped provide the workspace, while volunteers, whom Olha fondly calls her friends, supplied the materials.
Together with her students and fellow artists, Olha creates art pieces that not only take part in national exhibitions but also travel to international creative platforms. Over the past two years alone, the studio’s works have been showcased in 30 exhibitions across Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, demonstrating both high artistic standards and growing international recognition.
Olha is also deeply engaged in preserving and reviving Ukrainian cultural heritage. Her personal collection includes over 200 traditional embroidered shirts (vyshyvankas) — some more than a century old — as well as 300 embroidered towels and 120 shawls.
The story of Olha Mykolaivna Kitsmaniuk, who continues to bring the light of art to others despite all hardships, is a vivid example of the resilience of Ukrainian women — their creativity, compassion, and unwavering strength even in the darkest of times.
The Ukrainian people are creative and talented — and Olha’s story is living proof of that!