Zelenskyy Makes 'Thousand Springs' an Annual Initiative: Over 2,600 Cultural Project Applications Submitted

Launch of the 'Thousand Springs' Program

According to Главком: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the introduction of a recurring annual cultural support program called 'Thousand Springs.' This initiative is designed to fund national cinema, theater, music, literature, and audiovisual projects. A total of 2,634 applications have been submitted for the competition, and more than 150 experts will evaluate them. Seven separate competition committees, comprising 120 independent specialists, will carry out the project selection process.

Zelenskyy emphasized that 'Thousand Springs' represents the first state-backed cultural program of its kind and scale. He stated:

“This is not a one-off event. I am convinced this program must exist every year. I believe that in five to ten years, culture will gain momentum and produce a body of top-tier Ukrainian content that no hostile propaganda machine will be able to overcome.” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The President also highlighted the role of cultural output during wartime, noting that 'culture is a very important weapon for protecting Ukrainian consciousness, our identity, and our future.'

Program Funding Categories

The program aims to generate high-quality national content across various fields. The categories eligible for funding include:

• Feature films (full-length and short fictional movies)
• Non-fiction films (documentaries and journalistic projects)
• Animated films (animation projects of any duration)
• Audiovisual shows and series (television and web projects, entertainment content)
• Theater arts (dramatic, musical, and experimental performances)
• Musical arts (concerts, album recordings, and large-scale music events)
• Book publishing (fiction, popular science, and children's literature)

Zelenskyy added that this program opens up every opportunity to create content that matters to society, particularly amid the war. 'Our people seek light in dark times precisely through their own culture. The lines for unique Ukrainian exhibitions, our concerts, sold-out halls for Ukrainian films and theater performances-this is proof of that,' he said.

The program's significance also lies in the fact that 'your projects and how Ukrainians evaluate them-all of this will shape the future of both our culture and the program itself.'

Thus, the 'Thousand Springs' program represents a major step forward for Ukrainian culture, providing support for national projects and helping to build a new cultural landscape in Ukraine.

The launch of 'Thousand Springs' underscores the importance of cultural development in Ukraine, especially during wartime and amid global challenges. Supporting national initiatives helps preserve Ukrainian identity and produce quality content that can serve as a counterweight to hostile propaganda. It may also spark greater activity in the cultural sector and attract new talent to creative work, thereby strengthening the country's cultural community.

In light of the recent launch of the 'Thousand Springs' initiative, it is interesting to note the success of the previous Tysiacha Vesna program, which received over 1,000 project submissions. This highlights a growing interest in cultural projects within Ukraine, demonstrating the increasing importance of state support for the arts during these challenging times.