The first monothematic issue of Solomiya Magazine—The Environmental Issue—brings together a collection of artists and researchers reflecting and advocating on behalf of Ukraine's more-than-human communities and ecologies. In collaboration with the Ukrainian Environmental Humanities Network (UEHN)—an international collective of curators, artists, and scholars—we’ve created an issue that celebrates the richness and complexity of Ukrainian landscapes. This issue offers a diverse range of perspectives, amplifying voices that challenge the colonial, imperial, and extractive narratives that have long shaped external perceptions of Ukraine’s environment.
The Solomiya No. 4 launch will be accompanied by a screening of fragments from Daryna Mamaisur’s upcoming film Eyelashes and Sand Crystals (2024) and a panel discussion with Karolina Uskakovych and Jonathon Turnbull, two members of the UEHN, Daryna Mamaisur and Daria Svertilova, a photographer and contributor to the magazine.
Following the panel discussion, the music producer be_ca_di will perform his soundscape IRREVERSIBLE - RUSSIANS DESTROYED KAKHOVKA DAM, which was created on the second day after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam to draw attention to fundraising campaigns.

The exhibition Average Peace Enjoyer, originally showcased at the Drama Theatre in Ivano-Frankivsk, examined the multifaceted nature of peace: even after the fighting ceases, the war’s consequences and personal traumas persist long afterward. In a panel moderated by Solomiya-editor Ivanna Kozachenko, Maria Noschenko, Bojan Stojčić, and Maksym Khodak, curators and artists of the exhibition, will continue their dialogue at this event. Addressing themes such as media representation, war, Western paternalism, celebrity activism, and the expectation for war victims to perpetually fulfill the demands of distant spectators, the discussion will draw on cases like Bosnia, which entered peace negotiations in 1995 yet remains shaped by their aftermath. The event will also feature the launch of the recently published exhibition catalog Average Peace Enjoyer and a screening of Bojan’s short film, Hope Hotel Phantom (2023).

In her performative lecture, Maria Noschenko explores the dual nature of weapons as both instruments of international politics and extensions of the human body. The lecture explores the global circulation of arms, with a focus on post-war arms policies in Europe, particularly Germany. It delves into the role of the AK-47 in promoting Soviet influence in Africa and the supply of weapons to the Taliban. The lecture also highlights disarmament efforts within peace treaties.
Further inspired by Lebanese anthropologist Younes Saramifar, Maria investigates how weapons become extensions of the body and facets of personal identity. An assault rifle, for instance, transcends its function as a tool of power to embody states of tension, pain, and triumph. The act of carrying a weapon physically shapes a soldier’s body, fostering a deeply personal connection while situating the individual within broader social or political frameworks, be it a military unit, a terrorist organization, or a community united by a shared cause.

During this evening bringing together the Glowwood card reading and the community project Monday Kitchen, Solomiya Studio hosts two social initiatives focused on environmental awareness and traditional cuisine, presented with a playful and contemporary twist.
Lisa Biletska, whose writing is featured in Solomiya's Environmental Issue, is also the creator of Glowwood—a card deck rooted in ecology and made for conversation and introspection. Glowwood’s non–hierarchical interwebbed system of plants, insects, fungi, lichens, and minerals invites us to talk about human issues through non-human lifeways and perspectives. Lisa will lead two groups in discussing a collectively chosen topic. Participants will be invited to share their insights as they are shaped and guided by the cards. Each session will last approximately one hour. Up to eight people can register for each session. Fair warning: the deck has been called “eerie”.
Meanwhile, Monday Kitchen offers a platform for integrating the Ukrainian community in Berlin. This initiative creates a safe and welcoming space for networking, highlights the work of young artists, and promotes Ukrainian culture through traditional cuisine, musical events, and educational programs. It also raises funds for charitable organizations supporting people in Ukraine. Guests can enjoy a delicious homemade portion of Borscht for a donation of 5–15€, with all proceeds going toward charitable causes in Ukraine.

One of the central themes of the Latvian Art Yearbook 2024, WunderKombināts No. 3, is the intersection of art and ecology, with a focus on the complex relationships between human and non-human entities as shaped by the Soviet colonial legacy and its enduring impact. The launch of WunderKombināts' new issue, presented by the magazine's founder Elīna Ķempele and contributor Anastasiia Omelianiuk of the Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary, will include an introduction to and screening of Oleksandr Dovzhenko’s 1958 feature film, Poem about the Sea. Completed by his wife, Yuliya Solntseva, the film poetically portrays the construction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant near Nova Kakhovka, blending propaganda with a nuanced critique.
Built at breakneck speed in 1955 as part of Stalin’s ambitious "Plan for the Transformation of Nature," the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was designed to irrigate Ukrainian Crimea and southern regions while transforming the Kakhovka reservoir into an inland sea akin to the Sea of Azov. This grand vision, however, came at a devastating cost: the submergence of fertile lands and nearly 100 villages. Similar projects caused widespread ecological and social destruction in Latvia, Kazakhstan, and beyond. The legacy of this infrastructure was brought into sharp focus on the night of June 6, 2023, when Russian forces destroyed the Kakhovka dam, triggering an unprecedented ecological disaster with far-reaching consequences.

This reading accompanies the presentation of The Realization of History (2024), an installation of Molotov cocktail dummies by Alevtyna Melnychuk that was removed from the OSTEN festival in Bitterfeld-Wolfen in 2024. The installation is now being shown again at Solomiya Studio as part of Various Monuments. Originally conceived as a reflection on collective resilience, the work instead became the focus of political controversy when a right-wing German party attempted to exploit it for their own agenda.
The removal of the installation set off a chain of events: widespread media coverage, heated public debate, and frustration for the artist. Grappling with the experience of censorship and political exploitation, Alevtyna accompanies the re-presentation with a meditation on a question that has lingered since: What does it mean when art meant to provoke thought becomes a tool for manipulation? The reading culminates in an open dialogue and conversation with the artist.

Hosted by Anastasiia Omelianiuk and Yuliia Elyas, founders of the Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary, this workshop, with a short lecture, will explore more politically conscious ways to exchange, communicate, and translate knowledge and how violence affects communication across different levels. Participants will take on the role of "translators," using various mediums to express and interpret meaning while reflecting on how violence impacts communication at multiple levels.
Knowledge is inherently political, collective, and embodied, shaped not only by our positionality but also by complex forces like information warfare and disinformation. The workshop will examine strategies for communicating across contexts amid campism and content overload, focusing on building solidarity through shared vocabulary, visual, and non-verbal tools.
The Ukrainian Decolonial Glossary team has created the first comprehensive online collection of decolonial terms for Ukraine, bridging Western academic concepts with local contexts. They have published articles on topics such as genocide, eurocentrism, and gender subalternity.
For this workshop, pre-registration is required. Please use the link below.

Between 2014 and 2024, the number of women serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces has tripled and the media coverage of female soldiers has also increased. Drawing on extensive research of media publications and surveys on women’s experiences, historian Nataliia Zalietok will present her findings on the intersection of war, gender roles and social stereotypes shaping the portrayal of female soldiers in Ukrainian media.
In defiance of these societal prejudices, Hrishnytsia magazine challenges traditional depictions of the female body with its combination of "vintage eroticism and the fearless spirit of contemporary art". Julie Poly, artist and founder of Hrishnytsia, will present her photographic work and publishing practices. Following short presentations by Julie and Nataliia, Solomiya editor Ivanna Kozachenko will moderate a discussion with the panelists.
This event was realized in collaboration with the KIU - Competence Network for Interdisciplinary Ukraininan Studies at Viadrina University.

Maryana Klochko is a music producer, singer, and composer who explores the depths of the unconscious, blending vocals and electronics in captivating ways. Her distinctive fusion of hollow folk and dark electronica crafts an enigmatic soundscape. Drawing inspiration from liturgical chants and rave music, her work challenges the limits of experimental pop, creating a genre-defying experience.