On March 8, 2021, students and faculty from twenty-one universities on five continents will read, animate and comment on Francesco da Rimini’s poems in the language of their country.
“I am very pleased and honored that the year dedicated to Dante Alighieri will be officially opened in Ukraine on March 8, 2021 by teachers and students of Mariupol State University – one of the best Ukrainian educational institutions, famous for its long tradition of highly Italian language teaching.” Ambassador Pierre Francesco Zazo commented on the initiative “Kisses from around the world. Dedicated to Dante and Fracesca da Rimini”, organized and implemented by the International Training Center” Francesca da Rimini”, the City Hall of Rimini, the City Hall of Gradara, in collaboration with the administration of the Emilia-Romagna region and the Marche region.
Students and teachers from Mariupol read excerpts from the Fifth Song “Hell” in a wonderful translation by Maxim Strikha.
“Ukraine had to join the project, which involved five continents, twenty-one universities, eighteen languages, thirty university professors and one hundred young students of different ethnicities,” Ambassador Zazo continued, noting that this initiative is taking place. active support of the Italian Institute of Culture in Ukraine, which, together with the Embassy, has planned for 2021 a series of events focused on the figure of Dante, the father of the Italian language, as well as a theologian, incomparable ideologue, intellectual-founder of European civilization. In particular, it is planned to publish a new edition of “Divine Comedy” translated by Yevhen Drobiazko (with illustrations by Ukrainian artist Oleksandr Roitburd) and many other events – from ballet to seminars, lectures, exhibitions, readings and more”
Source: website of the Italian Embassy in Ukraine