The Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts invites colleagues and students to take part in the ArtFront Ukraine project, a charitable initiative supporting Ukrainian contemporary art and the country’s defenders.

“ART FRONT UKRAINE” PROJECT MANIFESTO

1. SMART INVESTMENT

• Affordable entry point: Professional art in Ukraine is currently available at relatively low market prices.
• International market potential: Comparable works are valued significantly (up to 3 times) higher in European and US markets.
• Highly mobile asset: Unlike real estate, artworks are internationally recognised, highly portable assets that can be legally transported abroad.
• Protection against inflation and devaluation: Investment in cultural assets has strong potential for growth following Ukraine’s victory and the further development of the art market.

2. CHARITABLE MISSION

The project follows a transparent financial model:

• 65% of each sale is paid to the artist;
• 10% covers gallery operating costs;
• 25% is donated to charity.

Each purchaser may independently choose the recipient of the charitable contribution, including units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Territorial Defence Forces, veterans’ organisations, or foundations supporting the families of fallen soldiers.

Charity Exhibition of Contemporary Art

Dates: July 21 – August 2, 2026

Venue: “Buzok” Gallery, Kharkiv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Mykola Lysenko, 25 Sumska Street, Kharkiv

3. CULTURAL SHIELD

The project emphasises the importance of supporting Ukrainian culture during wartime. It calls for a boycott of Russian art and cultural products while promoting Ukrainian artistic identity as an integral part of Europe’s cultural heritage.

Historical lesson: During World War II, when Winston Churchill was asked to cut funding to the arts in order to support the war effort, he allegedly responded: “Then what would we be fighting for?“

4. OFFICIAL STATUS AND PARTNERSHIPS

The exhibition features works by leading Ukrainian artists, including Yurii Shmyhol and Mark Konstantynopolskyi.

The project is supported by the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, implemented with the assistance of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, and organised in partnership with the Municipal Institution “Veteran Space “Side by Side”” of the Kharkiv Regional Council.

5. LEGAL AND FINANCIAL COMPLIANCE

• participating artists undergo strict background checks (via the “Myrotvorets” database);
• charitable donations are transferred directly to registered charitable or public organisations;
• the project complies with the relevant provisions of Ukrainian tax legislation.

Project Author: Oleksii Antipov

Project Coordinators: Oleksii Antipov, Ihor Shyshko

Illustrative photo