Personality in Residence: Dr. Iryna Venediktova

Interactive Workshop: Rebuilding Ukraine

4 to 6 pm, SQUARE Residency Grid

How can Ukraine’s reconstruction succeed? What roles do financing, security, ecology, and sustainable development play in this process?

In the interactive workshop Rebuilding Ukraine, participants will gain exclusive insights: Dr. Iryna Venediktova, Ambassador of Ukraine to Switzerland, will share first-hand information about the situation in the country and the progress of rebuilding efforts. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schmid, Ukraine expert at the University of St.Gallen, will provide additional perspectives and context.

Afterwards, participants will look ahead: in small groups, they will develop ideas, solutions, and visions around key topics such as financing, security, ecology, and how to 'rebuild better'. The workshop will conclude with a presentation and discussion of the group results.

Registration

Chamber Music Concert: Sinfonietta Sankt Gallen

6:15 p.m., SQUARE Atrium

Founded in 2022 by Ukrainian violinist Elena Neff Zhunke, Sinfonietta Sankt Gallen was created to bring together Swiss and displaced Ukrainian musicians, fostering cultural exchange through music. Today, the Sinfonietta has evolved into a dynamic chamber music ensemble that performs in varying constellations and across genres, presenting both new and classical works from Ukraine and Switzerland.

The evening opens with Maurice Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Cello, performed by Elena Neff Zhunke and Pierre Deppe. When it premiered in 1922, the piece was described as a 'massacre' of the duo, yet it is now recognized as one of the most significant and moving works in the chamber music repertoire.

The musical journey then continues to Argentina with Astor Piazzolla’s 'Le Grand Tango', a vivid celebration of the tango’s passionate and rhythmic energy. The performance features acclaimed accordionist Ghenadie Rotari, who has performed at the Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and the Musikverein Vienna.

The program concludes with two contemporary works: 'Kyrie Eleison' (1990) by Ukrainian composer Volodymyr Runchak, and 'Tangophonie' (2024) by St.Gallen composer Stéphane Fromageot. The latter – a tango dedicated to Piazzolla – was written especially for this trio. To close the evening, the audience can look forward to Piazzolla’s most beloved piece, Oblivion, followed by a musical surprise from Ukraine.

Registration

Sinfonietta Sankt Gallen
Artistic Direction: Elena Neff Zhunke (Deputy Second Solo Violin, St.Gallen Symphony Orchestra; Artistic Director, Waaghaus wagt Festival of the Arts, Summer 2025)
Pierre Deppe, Cello (Deputy Principal Cellist, Bern Symphony Orchestra)
Ghenadie Rotari, Accordion

Ukraine, Then and Now

6:15 to 7:15 pm, SQUARE Stage, 2nd Floor

Ukraine continues to move the world – politically, economically, and humanly. Few other countries have been at the center of such intense international attention. But how much do we truly know about the country’s developments, challenges, and future prospects?

Together with Iryna Venediktova, Ambassador of Ukraine to Switzerland, and experts from politics, law and business, we take a closer look at the country’s past, the turning point of February 2022, and its far-reaching consequences to this day. The discussion will also focus on reconstruction, sanctions, and the future of Ukraine.

Participants:
Iryna Venediktova, Ambassador of Ukraine to Switzerland
Franziska Tschudi Sauber, Chair of the Board, Weidmann Group
Prof. Dr. Leena Grover, Professor and Chair of International Law, University of St.Gallen
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schmid, Professor of East European Studies, University of St.Gallen

Registration