A new mural featuring a portrait of Kvitka Tsisyk has been created in Mykolaiv

A mural has been created on the facade of the College of Culture and Arts in Mykolaiv. It is dedicated to the American singer of Ukrainian descent, Kvitka Tsisyk. 

This was reported by the Mykolaiv City Council.

Artists Valeria Kucher and Dmytro Voloshin worked on the mural. The mural is part of an ongoing initiative to create murals dedicated to outstanding Ukrainians.

The project is being implemented in Mykolaiv at the initiative of the city’s chief architect, Yevhen Polyakov, and with the support of private patrons and local artists. 

Earlier, as part of this initiative, a mural dedicated to Lesya Ukrainka appeared on the building of Mykolaiv Lyceum No. 2. It was executed in a contemporary style with floral elements.

Another mural in this series adorns the facade of Mykolaiv Lyceum No. 58. It depicts a modernized image of Taras Shevchenko, combining the classic features of the Kobzar with a contemporary artistic vision. This mural symbolizes the indomitable Ukrainian spirit.

Kvitka Tsisyk (1953–1998) was an outstanding American singer of Ukrainian descent. Born in New York to a family of immigrants from Lviv, she achieved tremendous success in the U.S. as a session vocalist. It is her voice that can be heard in the song “You Light Up My Life,” which won an Oscar and a Golden Globe in 1978, as well as in famous advertising campaigns for Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s.

Despite her successful career in America, the main focus of her life became the recording of two self-funded albums of Ukrainian songs—“Kvitka” (1980) and “Dva Kolory” (1989). These albums introduced the world to the beauty of Ukrainian folklore through modern, professional arrangements and earned her a Grammy nomination.

Юлія Калабайда