Young Ukrainians Win Three Awards at the International “Danube Artist” Competition

For the first time in Ukraine’s history of participation in the international Danube Artist competition, Ukrainian young participants have won three prize places simultaneously. This achievement is particularly significant, as the competition brings together creative youth from 14 countries of the Danube River Basin. The contest is held under the auspices of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR).

The results were announced in December 2025 during the Meeting of Heads of Delegations of the ICPDR in Vienna. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Iryna Ovcharenko, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.

Ukrainian award winners:

-       1st place, “Natural Materials Craft” category (children) — Sofiia Boichuk from Yasinia, Zakarpattia region, whose beaver artwork received the highest jury scores.

-       2nd place, “Video” category (children) — Zakhar Yas from Oster, Chernihiv region, for the animated video “Such Diverse River Inhabitants”.

-       3rd place, “Photo” category (teenagers) — Valeriia Lukiianchuk from Reni, Odesa region, for a scenic photograph of ducks.

The competition is organized in partnership with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Global Water Partnership, and the Zakarpattia Regional Organization of the All-Ukrainian Environmental League. Its purpose is not only to unite children from across the Danube Basin, but also to foster respect for rivers and awareness of the need to protect freshwater ecosystems.

IDR comment 

Ukraine’s triple success highlights the growing role of cultural and youth-based cooperation as a soft-power dimension of Danube cross-border interaction. Such initiatives strengthen horizontal ties between communities and countries of the Danube Basin, contributing to shared ecological values, mutual understanding, and long-term regional cohesion.