April 27, 2017 at 12:00 -14:00, within the framework of the “Open Project: Unknown Kostandi (October 1852 – October 1921), his students and followers”, dedicated to the 165th anniversary of the artist, in the courtyard of the building No. 46 in Pastera Street there “lushly” blossomed lilacs by the monument to K. Kostandi. At the initiative of Elena Diakova, the Regional Council for Peace organized a spring festival for Odessans and guests of the city. The idea found support among many NGOs and public institutions, and the festival gathered many participants including students and teachers of arts from colleges and schools and members of the regional branch of National Union of Artists of Ukraine as well as common townspeople. In the yard, young students of I. Kharitonova from the Children’s School of Music No. 15 were painting “their own lilacs”.
More than 120 paintings of lilacs were put on exhibition in the yard. Their authors included both renowned artists and students or amateur painters.
The sun was shining brightly, the “lilacs” were “blossoming”, the amateur and professional musicians were playing music and singing, and everyone expressed certainty that the festival was a success and that the talent of the great K. Kostandi has to be celebrated in Odessa annually. Participants to the festival suggested that it could be held in different places related to K. Kostandi such as the village of Dofinovka, Kostandi Street and Bolshoy Fontan area in Odessa, etc.
