Valentyna Ivanivna Davydenko (; born 5 April 1955) is a Ukrainian poet, journalist and artist. As of 2016, she is the author of fourteen TV shows on Ukrainian artists, eight solo art exhibitions, and four volumes of poetry.

Early life and education

Valentyna was born in Lesky, in the

Cherkasy Oblast Cherkasy Oblast (, ), also referred to as Cherkashchyna (, ) is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in central Ukraine located along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. The Capital city, administrative center of the oblast is the cit ...

, on 5 April 1955. She received her degree from the

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (; also known as Kyiv University, Shevchenko University, or KNU) is a public university in Kyiv, Ukraine. The university is the third-oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and ...

's Faculty of Journalism in 1977. She works in radio and television journalism after graduating. Head of the Main Editorial Office for TV Radio "Voice of Kyiv" Publicistic Programs. She also became the writer and host of "Voice of Kyiv" radio's popular art shows.

Works

When Valentyna ran upon Roman poet Titiana Colosso at the worldwide Poetry Festival in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, she volunteered to work with her on the worldwide online poetry publication Formafluens, which she later directed. She initially translated a number of other contemporary Italian authors' poetry into Ukrainian. Her goal is to properly portray the Italian text's stylistic elements, melodies, and figurative language. She has read a lot of poetry since she was a little girl, but have not personally been influenced by literature in any way. In May 2008, Svetlana Loboda, Marta Vashchuk, Valentyna, and twenty-three other women artisans showcased their canvases and photos during a charity event held at the

Ukrainian House The Ukrainian House International Convention Center (), is the largest international exhibition and convention center in Kyiv, Ukraine. The five-storey building is the host venue for a variety of events from exhibitions, trade fairs and confere ...

. Valentyna has authored several books on

fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...

and culture, including "Formafluens" (2011), "Нічна вежа" (1999), "Зелена зірка березня" (1988), "Флейта Евтерпи" (2004), and "Білу лампу внесу тобі в ніч" (2012). She has also translated modern Italian poets, including Titiana Colusso's "La lingua langue" Roma 2009 and "Казкові світлини" books for children. Additionally, she has participanted in several international painting initiatives and domestic and international events. Writer and host of twelve television documentaries on modern Ukrainian artists from the "Мистецька мансарда" cycle (TV company ICTV, "Альтернатива"). Together with Ivan Taranenko, they collaborated on several

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

tracks, including "Майстер снів" and "Зеленаві твої небеса". The original song audio CD was made available. Their English-language CD (2007–2011) was subsequently made available in the UK.

Awards and honours

Valentyna has earned the following awards and honours: *

Honored Journalist of Ukraine The Honored Journalist (also translated as The Merited Journalist of Ukraine, ) is an honorary title bestowed by Ukraine (before 1991 by the Ukrainian SSR) for "vital contribution" in the country's journalism. The title is awarded by the Presiden ...

(2018) * Member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (1998) * Member of the National Writers' Union of Ukraine

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davydenko, Valentyna 1955 births Living people Honored Journalists of Ukraine People from Cherkasy Oblast Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv alumni Ukrainian translators Ukrainian women artists Ukrainian women journalists Ukrainian women poets