On 16 June, Ukrainian pianist and Head of the Ukrainian Institute in Sweden Nataliia Pasichnyk received the Artists Association of Sweden prize, one of Sweden’s most prestigious awards in the humanities and arts.

Her Majesty Queen Silvia presented the award during the official ceremony at Prince Eugene’s Waldemarsudde museum in Stockholm. ‘I’m grateful for this recognition and the attention towards promoting Ukrainian culture — and music specifically — from Sweden. Now is not the time for celebrations, but it’s high time for another reminder of how important it is for the world to hear and support Ukraine and talk about the distinct, deep, and rich Ukrainian culture, which is integrated in the European context,’ pointed out Nataliia Pasichnyk. That is what she has been doing for over 30 years, building cultural bridges between Ukraine and Sweden through music, dialogue, and the arts.

We sincerely congratulate Ms Pasichnyk on this high recognition and thank her for respectfully representing Ukraine on the European stage.