The cycle of long-awaited Christmas and New Year holidays has begun in Ukraine. Today, when our country is suffering from the war, when the enemy is trying to destroy everything Ukrainian, it is more important than ever to remember and preserve our own traditions. This special holiday season is full of ancient rituals, customs and traditions that allow everyone to feel the spirit of Christmas and deepen their understanding of family values. Ukrainian traditions of celebrating the New Year and Christmas holidays reflect the richness of cultural heritage and the importance of family ties, and contribute to the creation of a warm and relaxed atmosphere that gives all participants of the holiday an unforgettable experience and joyful memories.

On the eve of the Christmas and New Year holidays, on December 13, 2023, a solemn New Year’s Eve staff meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Fashion was held in the Mikhail Voronin Conference Hall of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design.

The solemn New Year’s Eve meeting was held in a hybrid format, which allowed us to bring the maximum number of participants together. The enthusiastic moderators, Alla KolodIazhna and Vitaliy Yalovy, striving to put everyone in the New Year’s mood, created an unforgettable holiday for the faculty members thanks to their inexhaustible imagination. The offline part was held in a beautiful hall, where speeches and various entertainment events were provided. This created a unique atmosphere of unity and joy remembered by all the participants.

On behalf of the Rector, Ivan Gryshchenko, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Academician of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, and the University staff, the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation of KNUTD Liudmyla HANUSHCHAK-YEFIMENKO, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Laureate of the Borys Paton National Prize of Ukraine, addressed the audience with touching greetings. Liudmyla Mykhailivna noted that Ukraine has been celebrating the New Year’s Day in a state of war for the second year in a row, but every day everyone thanks the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the opportunity to work and take steps towards our victory. The year that is coming to an end has taught us to appreciate every moment of life, bravely overcome even the most difficult challenges and be sincerely proud of being Ukrainians! The vice-rector noted that the bright holiday, which brings goodness, unites the past, present and future, bright dreams and new hopes, is approaching. "It is dreams and hopes that encourage us to move forward, and only unity and cohesion allow us to achieve victories on the way to our cherished goals! And that is why everyone is confident about the future and we have every reason to be optimistic - we have clear and concrete development plans and real opportunities to implement them.

The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Fashion Nataliia Ostapenko, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Member of the Union of Designers of Ukraine, Member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine, Laureate of the Borys Paton National Prize of Ukraine, delivered a welcoming speech to the faculty. Nataliia Valentynivna noted that despite the exhausting war, the past year has enriched us with new experience, united us on the way to implementing ambitious plans and gave us the opportunity not only to survive, but also to create all the conditions for the further development of our faculty. Summarizing the results of 2023, the Dean highlighted the successful completion of the 2023 competitive selection by the faculty members of the international Erasmus projects: "3D Concepts for fashion education in Ukraine", FashionTEX "European Academy of Young Designers FashionTEX for the study of innovative technologies in digital fashion design"; organization and holding of the VIII International Scientific and Practical Conference of Textile and Fashion Technologies "KyivTex & Fashion" and a roundtable meeting on "Ways to improve educational programs for training higher education seekers in specialties 182 Light Industry Technologies and 015 Professional Education in modern conditions"; organization and holding of the II International Student Design Competition; holding of the First International Competition of Student Research Papers in the Fashion Industry; holding of two personal art exhibitions at the “Art Space” Exhibition Center of Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, and an exhibition of creative works by students of the Faculty of Arts and Fashion, Concentration of Creativity; intensifying cooperation with stakeholders, which is the key to high-quality training of higher education seekers. Nataliia Valentynivna also congratulated Liudmyla ZUBKOVA, PhD, professor of the University, and thanked her for her long and hard work as Dean of the Faculty of Art and Fashion for the prosperity of our University, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, and the winner of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology Maryna Kolosnichenko, under whose leadership the faculty has trained hundreds of specialists who successfully work in Ukraine and abroad, raising the prestige of the Ukrainian school of art, design, and fashion at the world level. She also congratulated the Faculty’s students and their parents, the Academic Council of the Faculty of Arts and Fashion and all the staff on the upcoming year. The Dean expressed her sincere gratitude to all her colleagues and congratulated the administration, employees of other faculties, institutes, colleges of KNUTD on the upcoming 2024 New Year, thanked the Rector of KNUTD Ivan Gryshchenko, who strives and strongly supports the development of the fashion and art industry at the University.

The hall was filled with a festive atmosphere of joy, goodwill and expectations of a miracle. Positive emotions were brought to the audience by entertaining games, New Year's contests and quizzes, in which all employees were happy to participate. Each participant of the New Year's party was in a good mood and received gifts.

The Head of the Department of Fashion Technology Olha HARANINA, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Laureate of the Borys Paton National Prize of Ukraine, warmly greeted all those present. Olha Oleksandrivna emphasized that the staff of the Department of Fashion Technology are sincerely grateful to the University managers for their contribution to the development of the Faculty and its departments, for their support, sincere advice and boundless dedication to their work. The Head of the Department spoke about the achievements of the Department of Fashion Technology in international educational and scientific projects and sincerely thanked each teacher, laboratory assistant and all the staff of the Department.

The Head of the Department of Fashion and Style Tetiana Struminska, PhD, Associate Professor, Member of the Union of Designers of Ukraine, also congratulated everyone. In her welcoming speech, Tetiana Volodymyrivna congratulated students and colleagues on the New Year holidays, thanked the management and structural units of the University for their comprehensive support, cooperation and friendly attitude. The head of the Department noted that this year the Department has reached new heights in many areas of work. The achievements of the Department in the past year included high student exhibition and scientific activity, publication activity of the academic staff, participation in various international events and grants, etc. She wished the University personnel and students new hopes and victories, vivid emotions, good health, mental balance, optimism and fortitude in the coming year.

The Head of the Department of Professional Education in Technology and Design Maria BilIanska, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, joined in with sincere online greetings. Maria Mykhailivna emphasized that this year, like the previous one, was difficult, because we had to work and live in wartime conditions, which meant anxiety, uncertainty, and unpredictability. Despite the difficulties, the Department of Postgraduate Studies has renewed its staff. Doctor of Philosophy in Professional Education, Associate Professor Vita Hryhorieva, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor Inna Kosiak, Oleksandra Chyzh, Daria Bilots'ka joined the team with powerful energy, ambitious plans, new ideas that made it possible to introduce new disciplines and continue the achievements gained in previous years. The Head thanked the University administration and the faculty for their support, and the members of the Department for their constructivism, organization, support, and forward movement.

The words of congratulations to the staff also came from the acting head of the Department of Digital Art, Daria Chemberzhi, PhD in Art History, Associate Professor. Daria Andriiivna said that the Department of Digital Art is still very young, but this year it has been able to prove itself creatively. All the staff members and students of the University could enjoy the beautiful works of Uliana Balan and Antonina Dubrivna at their personal exhibitions in the walls of KNUTD, a number of exhibitions are being prepared for the next 2024, which will delight with even greater beauty and color of various techniques and new paintings. It was also noted that this year the students proved themselves in the scientific and creative aspects, and the first-year student Maryna Voloshko presented her personal exhibition in our library. She also conveyed warm greetings from Antonina DUBRIVNA, who is now in China and wished us creative inspiration, new achievements and, most importantly, our common victory during these holidays!

May good luck and good mood be our constant companions in the new year, may health and joy never leave us. Let there be prosperity in our homes, peace and love in our families!

May 2024 be a year of new creative ideas, professional achievements, and financial stability! Let us each bring victory closer on our own educational front.

May good dreams and all wise ideas come true in the name of the prosperity of our University for the benefit of Ukraine!

19.12.2023