ARTEast Gallery – Combining Ballet History and Art
The building that houses the ARTEast Gallery on Reytarska Street in Kiev is as famous and well-known as the gallery itself. It was once home to Yuriy Davydov’s Ballet Studio which doubled as an Opera Studio and became the blue print for ballet studios all over the world. It was the first studio to offer subjects such as languages and grammar together with lessons given by Illya Chestyakov. The dancers that walked through the doors of 13 Reytarska Street had dance companies lining up to recruit them and it has remained a building filled with talent, since it is now one of the best art galleries in Ukraine.
As a top Ukrainian art gallery, the ARTEast Gallery showcases some of the worlds’ most talented artists, in an environment that is warm and inviting. Staff members in the gallery are very friendly and informed and will gladly discuss the art exhibits or any other subject over a cup of coffee. Art galleries in Ukraine try to reach out to the public by exhibiting the talent of local artists and widening their cultural knowledge by showing off international pieces.
ARTEast Gallery has a wide variety of paintings, leather pieces, ceramics, wooden masterpieces and even graphic art. Anything that highlights art and unique talent can be found at the gallery which is proving to still be the cultural center of Ukraine. The building, with all its history and memories, portrays beauty in different forms and the freedom of expression and emotion can be felt within the gallery. Many of the artists that have work on display at the ARTEast Gallery belong to the Ukrainian Union of Artists and this guarantees visitors that they will see only the best and most talented pieces of art.
In 2003, the ARTEast Gallery hosted a very emotional art exhibition, by Alla Hors’ka and Viktor Zarets’kyi. This married couple fought against communism and were targeted and persecuted by the communists for their beliefs. They used their art to fight against repression and the yearning for freedom. Tragically, Alla Hors’ka died in 1970 and it was believed that communist leaders were behind her murder. Not surprisingly, the guilty were never charged for their crimes and the case remains unsolved. In 1990, before he could see his beloved country gain
their independence, Viktor Zarets’kyi passed away. The exhibition named, ‘Their world was not saved by their Beauty’, showcased the couple’s most noted works and paid tribute to the brave artists that not only used their talents to decorate the world but to fight for a cause they believed in.