Festival "Protasiv Yar"

On July 3–5, we will host the fourth "Protasiv Yar" festival in Kyiv in memory of Roman Ratushnyi! We will meet, as tradition dictates, on the Protasiv Yar clearing — our space of memory and freedom.

This year’s festival slogan is a quote from the Stoic philosopher Seneca, whom Roman greatly admired: "To make words not just ring, but weigh."

We truly want them to weigh something this summer. This is why we invite you for the fourth time to our festival, a testament to our responsibility for one another, our memory, and our love for our city and country.

Our program includes discussions and public talks, music, theater and musical-poetic performances, excursions, special events from friendly Ukrainian festivals, and a children's area.

We are gathering at a time when Protasiv Yar is once again under threat. The battle for it continues in the courts. The fate of the largest part of Protasiv Yar (approximately 16 out of 21 hectares) remains highly uncertain. There is a serious risk that construction could begin on Protasiv, as the protected status has been removed from most of the area, and the land may not be returned to the community but kept in private hands. This makes the issue of development—the very thing Roman Ratushnyi and the local community fought against—only a matter of time.

That is why this year's festival logo features a torn construction barrier tape—a reminder that the fight continues. It is our way of saying: we remember what Roman fought for. And we are not prepared to give it up.

Come join us! To be together, to listen, to speak, and to support Protasiv Yar. To ensure that words truly weigh something.