Aude: From Kyiv to Carcassonne, a young English teacher makes connections between art schools

He was vacationing in Greece during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Heartbroken by the war that had just broken out, Viktoria Skripka, her husband Eugene, and their five-year-old daughter decided not to return. “It was February 24, our parents, our friends were stuck in Kyiv, there were drone attacks, I cried all day, I was scared,” she says. The little family fled directly to France, where they had a friend in Montpellier. A native of Carcassonne, he found shelter for them in the province of Aude.

Find a job

In the Ukrainian capital, Viktoria Skripka taught English for 14 years at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. In an unfavorable environment, an important course for students to sell their works internationally: “Before the war, Ukrainian artists were not in high demand in Western Europe. To get exhibitions and sell their works, speaking English was a must”. The same thing in France and Carcassonne, where the young woman quickly takes action to find a job. At the beginning of the summer, he was welcomed at La Fabric des Arts, the art school of Carcassonne Aclo. The director, Alain Fabre, gave him the opportunity to practice his skills in preparatory classes for the Ecoles Supérieures d’Arts, where he now teaches students to talk about their work in English.

Culture shock

A new teaching approach and a clash of cultures impressed the teacher: “Despite the war, students in Ukraine are very persistent, ambitious and motivated. They know what they want to do at the beginning, where the French have not yet fully arrived. But Ukrainian education is very academic, and in France it is towards creativity. There is, it’s very interesting”. Without judgement, he believes he needs to modify some of his teaching practices: “I’m demanding here, but much less strict in my approach to students, it doesn’t work!”.

To establish a connection

With Covid, Ukraine, like everywhere else in the world, has learned to work remotely. Thus, in parallel with her 40 students from Carcassonne, Viktoria Skripka also follows 80 Ukrainian students online. Somehow: “Mostly, due to electrical problems, visios can’t be done, it’s impossible to connect, but we struggle to keep up”. Alain Fabre, in relation to Oleksandr Tsuhorka, rector of the Kyiv Academy, is now committed to creating exchanges between the two institutions, which should sign a partnership agreement these days. “Even if it is difficult to present oneself, the long-term aim is to start a real substantial work in solidarity, but above all to learn from each other, the first academic virtue”, he underlines.

In Carcassonne, Victoria’s daughter already speaks French better than her: “She doesn’t know Russian, I don’t want to. I thought she would start school in Ukraine… We will go there, our whole life is there, the page is very difficult”.

“Every day is a new challenge” in Kyiv.

Oleksandr Suhorka, rector of the Kyiv National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, testifies to the situation in Ukraine.

How are you ?

War has affected everyone here. Children, women, men, soldiers and civilians die every day. But we all believe in Ukraine, we believe in our academy. She is, was, and will be. Without the Ukrainian Academy of Arts, there would be no independent Ukraine. Our mission is to preserve it for future generations.

What were the consequences of the Russian invasion for the Academy in Kiev?

Every day is a new challenge. We had to change our educational system because our teachers and students are abroad, hence our increased collaboration with other art schools in Europe, including Carcassonne. Even during the war, the students remained motivated. More applications have been received this year than in the last five years.

What is important to you today?

For every Ukrainian, the only important thing for us is victory over the aggressor from Moscow. We believe it and expect it. We believe that peaceful life will come, Ukraine will prosper and our academy will prosper. We did not give up, our newcomers, for example, did not leave Ukraine. In a shelter, they continue to work, learn, communicate and create, even during an air raid alert.

How do you see the future?

With our victory the war will end. Entire cities were destroyed, tens of thousands of our citizens were killed, and the government suffered heavy losses. But there is the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, which is celebrating its 105th anniversary this year. Its future lies only in development, in cooperation with leading European art institutions, in supporting and promoting Ukrainian art, our graduates, representatives of our art school.