The gala concert took place at the Wagner House in Rīga on Saturday, 10 June and featured the “Kremerata Lettonica” string ensemble, actresses Dita Lūriņa and Larisa Ponomarenko, as well as the Festival's founder and creative director, pianist Andrejs Osokins.
The concert was opened by the President of Latvia Egils Levits and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Latvia Anatoliy Kutsevol. Visitors to the concert also had the opportunity to see a special exhibition dedicated to the Ukrainian war – drawings by Ukrainian children from Kharkiv, Irpin, Kiev and Latvia, the installation “Time” by artist Edmunds Kalniņš, and an exhibition of portraits of Ukrainian women who have found refuge in Latvia, accompanied by sad stories from Grebnevo.
On Sunday, 11 June, the cultural space “Ola Foundation” hosted the epilogue of the Festival – a solo concert by pianist Georgijs Osokins. On Saturday, June 17 the festival will close with another charity concert in Kuldīga.
Ticket revenues plus donations in a special campaign on Ziedot.lv, will be redirected to Ukraine – for humanitarian, medical, defence and pet aid. The campaign will run for two more weeks, giving people who missed the concerts the opportunity to donate to Ukraine.
Everyone can still continue to donate here: www.ziedot.lv/osokina-brivibas-festivals.
“While the war is still going on, blood is still being shed, innocent people are still dying, war crimes are still being committed and evils incompatible with humanity are still taking place, our task is to continue to support Ukraine just as powerfully, to show its people that we are with them even in the most difficult and darkest moments and will do everything to end the war as soon as possible with a Ukrainian victory," said Andrejs Osokins.
This is the fourth year of pianist Andrejs Osokins Freedom Festival, which for the second year has been dedicated to Ukraine and its people.
