Internet-Conference : June 2001
"Multicultural, intercultural, international and interregional cultural links"

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: Introduction

The problem of cultural links is often understood only as the problem of international cultural links, more exactly that of cultural links between independent states.
But in the contemporary world with its processes of globalisation, multiculturalism etc., this realization is too narrow.
Naturally, the obstacles of frontiers, currencies, visas and other very bad things remain valid between post-communist countries as well as between most post-communist countries and other countries of the world, especially the USA and the EU countries.
But the communication between two professionals specialized in the same area is often going almost without obstacles, because they have a common cultural "language".
Naturally, this is not always so. Communication is really a problem in international links. But it is important that communication problems can also appear within one country, especially if the independence of this country has no long history. The reason is that the cultural space in such countries is not so homogenous and hierarchically organized as in the "traditional" independent European countries.
The lack of homogeneity can be understood not only as shortage, but also as opportunity, which could be specified as multiculturalism and interculturalism. Both notions express the similar situation when in one place there are two or many different cultures (of different ethnic, social and cultural origin). If an artificial division of the two notions is wanted, so multiculturalism could be determined as the case when different cultures co-exist without serious interaction. On the contrary, interculturalism could suppose higher level of such interaction. In addition, in the contemporary world the notion of place is not identical to that of settlement (town or village) or small region. The process of interaction could embrace a large country or a group of countries, a continent or even the entire world.
Many problems of international and/or interregional communication are also really or primarily problems of multicultural situation and intercultural communication.
This could be a new approach to the musical culture, which could explain particularities of development in different countries. Evidently, multiculturalism and interculturalism - that is the case in Ukraine as a whole and in many Ukrainian regions and towns.
I mean firstly ethnic, religious and social minorities. Then, the problem of interaction between Ukrainian and Russian cultures as well as between the both and the "Western" culture. The last decades were marked by the appearance of age-determined (children's, teenagers' and even pensioners') subcultures, which have been divided to some narrower groups' subcultures.
Nowadays, the entire world on all the levels - from global to local ones - tends to being united and homogeneous, but simultaneously to being divided and individualized. You can hear: it lacks dialogue. May be, but the dialogue is held not only and not necessarily for interaction. Really, the world lacks solidarity, necessary even if the interaction is not possible or not desirable.
As well, we in Ukraine need solidarity, if we want the free, full and fruitful development of the Ukrainian culture as one multicultural I(and probably intercultural) whole.

: Participants

O.Perepelytsya, PhD, manager; K.Tsepkolenko, PhD, composer, festival leader; O.Rovenko, PhD, musicologist; O.Sokol, PhD, musicologist, manager; I.Golubov, composer; S.Ship, musicologist; H.Vladymyrska, journalist; A.Shelkovenko, businessman; R.Brodavko, journalist; I.Malyshev, PhD, musicologist; S.Vasylenko, conductor, festival leader, manager; A.Revenko, vocalist, manager; a.o.
O.Kozarenko, PhD, composer, musicologist and manager; V.Kamins'kyj, composer; L.Kyjanovs'ka, PhD, musicologist; J.Erminy, pianist; a.o.
V.Huba, composer; V.Hodziats'kyj, composer; O.Zinkevych, PhD, musicologist; V.Zubytskyj, composer; L.Olijnyk, PhD, musicologist, manager; N.Kuliaeva, PhD, musicologist; V.Runchak, composer, conductor, festival leader; I.Miniaev, manager; a.o.
Moscow (Russia)
M.Bronner, composer; E.Podgaits, composer; A.Rovner, PhD, composer and musicologist; M.Esipova, PhD, musicologist; a.o.
Yerevan (Armenia)
M.Kokzhaev, composer; T.Movsisisn, PhD, musicologist; a.o.
Chisinau (Moldova)
V.Beleaev, composer and manager; P.Rivilis, composer, a.o.
Almaty (Kazakhstan)
A.Samarkin, PhD, musicologist
Bishkek (Kyrghyzstan)
K.Medetbekova, composer

: Summary

Contemporary Ukrainian cultural space covers many cultural trends having their own cultural codes. There is: professional music of "international" ("Western") type divided now into classical and "new" music; authentic and "pseudo" folklore of different Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian ethnic and social groups; authentic and "pseudo" professional music of oral traditions; religious musics; age-determined musical subcultures.

Many regions and towns of Ukraine traditionally are multicultural, for example Odessa historically was a center of Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Greek, Armenian, Jewish, German, French, Italian culture. Odessa region has villages of Ukrainians; Russian old believers; Moldovans (Romanians), Bulgarians, Gagauz and others.

The Ukrainian culture is developing impacted by Russian, "Western" and "Eastern" cultures. Is it fruitful or harmful?

Has the Ukrainian cultural policy to aim at fostering independent development of all the cultures (cultural trends) considered as particular values and identities? Or is it to try to further the dialogue and uniting of all the (sub) cultures into one homogeneous culture?

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Conferences is provided by Association New Music
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