Estonia, Siverskodonetsk, and Marmots: The History and Present of the Opinion Festival in Ukraine
The annual all-Ukrainian Opinion Festival has its roots in Estonia. In 2013, the small town of Paide hosted the first Arvamusfestival (“Opinion Festival” in Estonian), which provided a platform for equal dialogue between communities, government, activists, and businesses.
Ukraine felt the need for a similar event after the outbreak of war in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In 2017, the East SOS Charity Foundation together with the Estonian organization Mondo launched the first Ukrainian edition in Siverskodonetsk (Luhansk region), which brought together over 500 participants.
The festival was held in Luhansk for the last time in 2021, before the full-scale invasion. Unfortunately, the site was temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation, but it remains an integral part of the festival’s history. In 2022, the sixth festival was held in a shelter in Dnipro, and since 2023 it has taken place in Kyiv – with the firm belief that one day it will return home.
For nine years in a row, marmots have remained the symbol of the festival. Their appearance is no coincidence: they were first chosen in Siverskodonetsk, as these animals are native to the steppe regions of Ukraine.
In 2024, visitors of the Zatyshno Space, a safe hub in Zaporizhzhia, started a heartwarming tradition – crafting toy marmots that were exchanged for donations. The idea resonated deeply with local craftswomen, many of them internally displaced from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, who are now channeling their skills into supporting fundraising for our evacuation teams.
“We fled Luhansk in 2014. Later, when we lived in Berdiansk, I often visited the zoo there, where a huge enclosure imitated the steppe hills and housed marmots. That place always reminded me of home,” – Iryna (pictured in the middle).
Each craftswoman’s story carries its own strength. Olena (left in the photo), known as the “mother of marmots”, created the prototype pattern, backpack, hat, and cap that gave the festival marmots their recognizable look. Forced to leave Donetsk in 2014, she has since been knitting tirelessly, keeping defenders warm by sending clothes to the frontline.
Another Olena (right in the photo), from Zaporizhzhia, has chosen to remain in her hometown despite constant shelling. Knitting has become her way to cope, while her little granddaughter’s requests inspire her to keep creating. This year, she even introduced marmots in a brand-new style!
For the past few months, our talented craftswomen have been working with love and dedication to prepare something special for you. On September 20, at the charity fair, you will find beautiful blue and yellow handmade products created by wonderful people who want to help others.
This fair is part of our ambitious fundraising campaign to raise UAH 2,000,000 for electronic warfare equipment to protect the evacuation crews of the East SOS Charity Foundation – so they can continue saving lives safely.
The craftswomen and even the marmots will be waiting for you to turn the warmth of your hearts into support for those who need it most.
Don’t wait until the festival – you can start doing good deeds right now by joining the collection!
Donation details:
Beneficiary: CO “CF East SOS”
Registration number: 39764400
IBAN: UA893005280000026007455028483
Purpose of payment: Charitable contribution
PayPal: [email protected]
