Every year on April 8th, International Romani Day is celebrated. In 2016, it marks the 45th anniversary of the first International Romani Congress held in London, where the global Romani movement was initiated and the official Romani flag and anthem were adopted. On this occasion, many countries around the world hold ceremonies, concerts, festivals, flash mobs, exhibitions, and meetings with officials.
This year, the festive event took place at the Darnytskyi District State Administration in Kyiv, organized by the NGO International Romani Women’s Fund “Chirikli”.
The event was opened by Hennadii Sintsiv – the head of the Darnytskyi District State Administration, and Zemfira Kondur – the vice-president of the NGO International Romani Women’s Fund “Chirikli”.
For participants and guests of the celebration, an exhibition titled “Life on the Brink of Survival,” prepared by Maxim Dzhum, a Romani mediator, was showcased. A presentation about the history of the Romani migration to Ukrainian lands was given by Natalia Zinevych, a candidate of historical sciences and a senior research fellow at the Institute of Ukrainian Archeography and Source Studies named after M. Hrushevsky of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Mykhailo Tiaghlyi, a staff member of the Ukrainian Center for Holocaust Studies, presented on the lesser-known topic of the Romani genocide during World War II in Ukrainian society.
A musical performance called “Khamoro” was presented by Romani students for the attendees.
