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The future is shaped by

Those who keep planting

announcing: the kandinsky “Inner Necessity” prize

Launching October 2026 in Odesa Ukraine

Wassily Kandinsky discovered his creative path right here at the Odessa Drawing School (now Grekov Art School). In honor of his legacy, Lastivka is launching a flagship prize named after his profound concept of “Inner Necessity” - the belief that creative expression is a vital psychological tool for survival and resilience. The prize does not judge a piece of art. Instead, it invests directly in the young Odesa art educators who are running workshops based on Odesa cultural and historic heritage with an aim to restore stability, focus, and cultural continuity for children navigating crisis.

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Премія Кандинського «Внутрішня необхідність»

Запуск у жовтні 2026 року в Одесі, Україна

Василь Кандинський розпочав свій творчий шлях саме тут — в Одеській малювальній школі (нині Одеське художнє училище імені М.Б. Грекова). На честь його спадщини Lastivka започатковує флагманську премію, названу на честь його концепції «внутрішньої необхідності» — переконання, що творче самовираження є життєво важливим психологічним інструментом виживання та стійкості. Ця премія не оцінює твори мистецтва. Натомість вона інвестує безпосередньо в молодих одеських викладачів мистецтва, які проводять майстер-класи на основі одеської культурної та історичної спадщини з метою відновити стабільність, зосередженість і культурну спадкоємність для дітей, що переживають кризу.

The future is shaped by Those who keep planting.

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Our Process

  • Why

    Our initiative is grounded in a simple belief: children living through instability need more than emergency support alone. They also need environments that restore attention, curiosity, confidence, and connection to culture. Research increasingly shows that structured creative experiences can support emotional regulation, resilience, and social trust — especially when delivered consistently and in partnership with trusted local institutions.

  • keep it simple

    We are aware that arts-based programs can sometimes overpromise impact. For this reason, our model is intentionally modest, practical, and partnership-driven. Rather than building large new structures, we aim to support carefully designed pilot programs in collaboration with Ukrainian museums, educators, and communities, adapting to local realities and feedback over time.

  • what we are not

    This project is not presented as a substitute for humanitarian aid, reconstruction, or formal education. It is a complementary long-term investment in children’s cognitive and cultural well-being. Societies recovering from war require not only physical rebuilding, but also spaces where young people can safely develop attention, imagination, agency, and a sense of continuity with their cultural heritage.

  • our goal

    We recognize that not every initiative succeeds perfectly, and not every child will respond in the same way. Our goal is not perfection or scale for its own sake, but the creation of meaningful, repeatable experiences that can positively influence children, educators, and communities over time. Even small environments of stability, beauty, and thoughtful attention can have lasting developmental value.

WHAT SETS US APART

Many organizations provide humanitarian aid, psychosocial support, and arts programming for Ukrainian children. Lastivka is focusing on something often overlooked: strengthening the cultural institutions and future leaders who will help communities recover for years to come.

Our team combines deep roots in Ukraine's artistic community with decades of international experience in leadership, program development, and organizational management. We bring the discipline of building sustainable programs while remaining grounded in local culture and needs.

Most importantly, Lastivka is designed as a capacity-building initiative, not a permanent intervention. Our goal is to equip museums, educators, and local partners with a framework they can eventually own, adapt, and expand independently.

By connecting children, museums, and emerging educators, Lastivka seeks to create more than a successful pilot—it aims to build lasting cultural capacity and preserve spaces of creativity, learning, and wonder for the next generation.