Help Zhovten cinema in Kiyv

English version (polski opis na dole):

Zhovten means October. It is the name of an almost 100 year old cinema in Kyiv. A cinema that's been halted like everything in Ukraine since Russia brutally invaded this country on February 24th, 2022. We hope Zhovten will be able to open its doors as soon as possible. In the meantime let's help Zhovten and its employees survive! Donate to the fund.

An appeal from Zhovten Managing Director, Yuliia Antipova, 12/04/2022:

"The countdown of Kyiv cinema “Zhovten” history began in 1931. On January 29, “Zhovten” opened its doors. During its existence, the building, which is located in the historic center of the capital on Konstantinovskaya st, 26, has never changed its purpose.      

During the period of its activity, Zhovten took a special place in the cinematic space - it become a "movie home" with the best examples of world and domestic cinema, various festival programs, preview premieres, creative meetings with film figures, retrospectives of films, lectures and master classes with professionals.    

Charitable activities are an important part of the work of the cinema staff. The cinema works with children and youth audiences, organizes educational events, charity sessions for retirees, parents with infants. It also closely cooperates with the fund of the Charitable Foundation «Tabletochki», free screenings are held for children with cancer and their parents.      

On February 24, 2022, at about 4 o'clock in the morning Kyiv time, a treacherous full-scale invasion of Russian troops into the sovereign and independent territory of our state took place.

Military and administrative infrastructure, as well as residential buildings, hospitals, schools and theaters, have come under artillery fire. More than 1,000 missiles were fired throughout Ukraine. Air alarms are heard every day in every city, every regional center of Ukraine… A lot of settlements are currently under temporary occupation and under the control of invaders. The enemy commits lawlessness, mocks the civilian population, commits mass shootings and looting. Whole cities are on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe.    

From that moment, time seems to have stopped, there are no days of the week, no time of day - there is only a countdown of days that brings us closer to victory. The work of almost all enterprises, including our cinema, has stopped.   The «Zhovten» сinema has suspended only twice in its 90-year history, in 2014 after a devastating arson - the cinema was rebuilt in a year and we resumed our work, then in 2020 - four months during the world pandemic through Covid 19. 

The war made its adjustments and our workers were forced to save their lives and the lives of their families, big part of them moved to the Kyiv subway, some were evacuated to more secure regions of Ukraine or abroad.   Grief came to every family: destroyed homes, missing relatives, destroyed towns and villages. The safety of 42 cinema staff has become our important mission. Most workers are left without any means of subsistence, access to essential medicines, under threat of constant shelling, and in need of substantial financial assistance. Preserving the team is a difficult and painful challenge today.   

We try to support each other in every possible way and make joint efforts to accelerate Ukraine's victory. Now volunteer work has become our daily activity: helping fellow citizens in humanitarian centers, making personal protective equipment for the military, raising funds for the purchase of equipment for the army.  

Those who have taken refuge abroad are taking an active part in rallies in support of Ukraine, and continue to resist aggression on the information front. But each of us live in a dream to return home, to return to work! But until the enemy stops and leaves our land, all hopes for a peaceful life are in vain.

We will be immensely grateful to all those who are working to put pressure on world leaders to tighten sanctions to reduce russia's economic and military resources, and to inform the public in any way about the inhuman nature of russian barbarians who persecute, torture and kill civilians, blockade and shoot humanitarian corridors, destroying cities, committing a real genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Joint cohesion will give a worthy rebuff to the enemy!

Thanks to our friends and partners for their help in countering the threat of destruction of humanity and world cultural heritage!

For every word, for every outstretched hand of help - a low bow!"

[Wersja Polska]

Ta zbiórka poświęcona jest pomocy na rzecz kijowskiego kina Zhovten, niemal stuletniej instytucji kluczowej dla ukraińskiej kultury filmowej, miejscu niezliczonych premier, festiwali i prospołecznych inicjatyw. Chcemy pomóc jego pracownikom w przetrwaniu tego czasu, w którym nie są w stanie utrzymywać siebie ani kina zarobkowo. 

Założycielką zbiórki, za zgodą Dyrektor Zarządzającej kina Zhovten, jest Anna Tatarska, polska dziennikarka filmowa: 

"Jakiś czas temu robiłam wywiad z Yuliią Antypovą, dyrektorką kina Zhovten w Kijowie. Zhovten to najstarsze kino na Ukrainie i członek sieci kin studyjnych Europa Cinemas, miejsce, w którym zwykle odbywają się rozmaite festiwale i premiery. W tamtej chwili Yuliia akurat wracała do miasta po ucieczce przed bombami. Pierwsze oględziny kina po dwumiesięcznej przerwie były przed nią. Na szczęście budynek przetrwał, ale z oczywistych powodów funkcjonowanie kina nie jest obecnie możliwe. Nasza autoryzacja wywiadu była utrudniana przerwami w dostawach Internetu, spowodowanych bombardowaniami... Ogromnie podziwiam Yulię za siłę ducha. Wiem, że ogromnie martwi się losami pracowników kina, którzy nie otrzymują pensji i nie mają zwyczajnie jak się utrzymać w tej koszmarnej sytuacji. Bardzo chciałabym im pomóc przetrwać ten niezwykle trudny czas. W jedności siła!"