Loving wife of Olexandr and mother to two great kids, Maryna Asaulyuk has become quite a public figure in Kyiv over the years.

Comedy, Romance USA 2010

Starring Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel

Directed by Hollywood veteran Garry Marshall, Valentine’s Day explores love in all its facets on the one day a year dedicated to the art of expressing it. “The film follows seven intertwining love stories that take place during the course of one day in Los Angeles,” Marshall describes during a break from filming.

Drama, Mystery USA 2009

Starring Vincent Gallo, Maribel Verdu, Alden Ehrenreich

Honest and naive, 17-year-old Bennie arrives in Buenos Aires to search for his older brother who has been missing for more than a decade. The family had emigrated from Italy to Argentina, but with the great musical success of their father Carlo, an acclaimed symphony conductor, the family then moved from Argentina to New York.

Drama USA 2009

Starring Colin Firth, Ben Barnes, Rachel Hurd-Wood

Fresh-faced and innocent, Dorian Gray arrives in London to move into the house he has inherited. Almost immediately, he falls under the influence of the amoral and calculating Lord Henry Wotton, which leads him to a life of increasing debauchery and violence.

Comedy, Romance USA 2010

Starring Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott

Leap Day is an Irish tradition which occurs every time 29 February rolls around, and seeing this as her opportunity, Anna (Adams) travels to Dublin to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy (Scott). While in mid-flight, there is a storm and the plane diverts to Cardiff, Wales. 

Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery USA 2010

Starring Johnny Depp, Heath Ledger, Jude Law

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a fantastical morality tale, set in the present day. It tells the story of Dr. Parnassus and his extraordinary Imaginarium, a travelling show where members of the audience get an irresistible opportunity to choose between light and joy or darkness and gloom.

Getting out and listening to any one of Kyiv’s bar bands is a great way to spend an evening and something the whole What’s On gang often enjoys doing.

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. There is an epigraph of Shakespeare’s somewhere that could fit this maxim which is something that he, along with the characters in this play, would both have had in common. But sometimes lives and characters intertwine to a point where they are no longer indivisible.

Born in Belgium, there is a long list of reasons why we love Lara Fabian and being able to sing in her native French as well as English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese are just a few of those reasons. She is a singer whose voice holds intimations not only of the powerhouse Whitney Houston but also the romantic touch of Celine Dion and having released 13 albums, the honesty in her lyrics and the emotional content of her performances, only makes that list longer. See her lovely self live next month.

This musical and dramatic fantasy tells the story of a bright and charismatic southern city by the sea. But it is made all the better for composer Raymond Pauls who also accompanies this small theatre. The music itself is miraculous, flamboyant and almost unrecognisable which is exactly what it is supposed to be, as it is an echo of Odesa itself. So as he plays, the actors act and sing: “Long live the king, the pregnant girls and the rowdy sailors; down with death, the KGB and hunger; and let everyone dance, drink and be merry!”

This Russian rock band’s name derives from the title of a poem by Sasha Chorny; which in turn was borrowed from the English word spleen; which, aside from being an organ in the human body that assists with functions of the blood, also denotes depression. Being huge fans of The Beatles, they swapped an E for an A in their name, allowing them to enjoy almost as much popularity in the 14 years they’ve been on stage. While their songs tend to be rather melancholic, they have been able to make a whole whack of albums and one of their biggest coups so far, has been winning the award for Best Video at the 2009 MTV Russian Music Awards.

Both promising representatives of the younger generation of artists, Symulyakry is the first stage of one of the latest and greatest Ukrainian art projects out there these days. Volodymyr will be showcasing only the best from his Birds series, while Sadan will be presenting his works of Meat. Hhhmmmm, makes you wonder about our gene pool a little…

No plans for Lover’s Day? Or you don’t yet know of anybody’s heart you’d like to eat? Well in that case, Heaven is the place for you! With lots of competitions, lovey-dovey music for the couples and some hot excitement for the singles, DJs Diana and AnisELLE are going to be pumping it up to keep you well entertained all night long. Valentine’s Day 2010, eat your heart out!

British trance trio, Above & Beyond, was formed in 2000 and quickly gained popularity for their uplifting compositions of trance which often included collaborations with varying vocalists. The group’s tracks are regularly played by such DJs as Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten and Paul van Dyk and in 2009, DJ Mag gave 4th place to Above & Beyond from their annual poll of the top 100 DJs around the world.

The Ukrainian adaptation of already world famous, So You Think You Can Dance, has made its way to Ukraine and is being shot right here in Kyiv for the second year in a row. In North America, this game-show, reality TV mix is hugely popular and the number of extremely talented individuals that make it to the end is quite astounding. For this special celebratory evening, some super fab music is backing these dancers who are out to show everybody that Ukraine isn’t missing a beat. Come and check them out close up.

With La Scala being one of the most important architectural structures in opera society today, there have been many greats to have graced its stage. Come this spring, a few of those greats are coming back to grace the golden stage of our Palace here in Kyiv once again. Some of those golden voices include Italy’s Veronica Simeoni (mezzo-soprano), Giorgio Giuseppini (bass) and Mario Malagnini (tenor) with Spain’s Eteri Lamoris (soprano).

Initially getting together to play just the one concert, this band with the crazy name (Me and My Friend, the Truck) was formed in 2007 in Dnipropetrovsk. As it happens so frequently in this country, however, the guys really liked what they were doing and so decided to stick it out to see what they could accomplish.

Dolls have attracted the attention of people rich and poor for much of human history. This attraction inspired Ukrainian artists Ihor and Iryna Eleseyev to focus their creative energies specifically on this genre. Moreover the couple has a thing for painting, so their “Long Things” exhibition includes paintings and dolls, so come expecting a bit of the unusual and the commonplace.

In addition to being a very popular DJ, Ferry Corsten, also known as System F, is a great producer of trance music as well. And as the first single Radio Crash from his third album Twice In A Blue Moon, has also been mixed by Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk and Above and Beyond, you know he’s liked by his peers. Playing all over, he’s currently ranked number six in the world according to a poll taken by one of Britain’s top DJ mags, and now on his way to our little part of the globe, he’s sure to keep you on your feet all night long.

For all of you out there who don’t know about Centre, they’re a gang of rappers who have made it pretty big in both Russia and Ukraine and splitting away just long enough to cut his own album, Guf will soon be in Kyiv to show it off. Having been involved in numerous unpleasantries in the course of his still rather young life, he has found salvation in music and even though he does quite well in the group, the stuff you can do on your own can sometimes be just as good. Guf, guf, guf…

This group got going in 2001 with the aim of combining ethnic elements of dance with a more modern setting. As such, they are the first group in Turkey to have been so successful in their choreographic aspirations. With 250 dancers on the cast list, they have become hugely popular already in many parts of the world and could be performing on any number of stages anywhere at once! But this Women’s Day 2010, they’ll be here in Kyiv and with all of the best elements of dance mingled with great Turkish tradition, this is going to be one gift all the girls will be wanting.

The third in its series, these concerts of British music aspire to great heights, enlightening the Ukrainian public with works never before heard in this country. This evening especially will be one to remember as Peter Maxwell Davies’ Orkney Wedding and Sunrise not only includes a score for an orchestra, but for a bagpipe solo as well; for which we have been assured will include Pipe Major, Roderick Deans in full regalia! This is a great opportunity to get yourselves warmed up for Burns Night, so make sure you reserve your tickets now at www.MasterKlass.org.

Eugene Filatov is a Ukrainian guy everybody calls The Maneken. And with all of the great European electro he plays in the clubs these days, you’d think he’d be pretty popular with everybody. That doesn’t seem to be the case, however, as foreigners tend to grab his groove far more readily than Ukrainians.

This party is dedicated to the first anniversary of Low Parties in Xlib, the key component of which is psychedelic rock. No surprise here then that Mo Morris, of top British band A Mountain Of One will be coming to Kyiv especially for this occasion, as Guardian magazine thinks the band’s album, Institute Of Joy, is right at the centre of all good psychedelic rock music.

The United Nations in Ukraine is launching a nationwide competition of children’s drawings! Inviting all school children aged six to ten, the contest has to do with conflict prevention and the promotion of basic human rights for children and respect for others. Using pencils, markers or paints on A3 paper, children who participate should make sure that their exhibit corresponds to the task in the best way they see fit.

During the month of February, Mystetska Zbirka is offering art from Uzhhorod, a city on the very tip of Ukraine’s western border. Their very best artists, Lyudmila Korzh-Radko and Olena Kondratyuk with sculptor Bogdan Korzh, will be presenting vivid representations of classic art for your approval and admiration. And as they’ve been working with their medium for years, only now are they starting to travel with that which they have created, so perhaps they are due some consideration.

Within each country there is a culture that exists solely in and of itself. From roaming travellers to rolling hills and valleys, the influences it absorbs include many. And yet even among these minor pressures, its heart remains the same. Moldova has just such a heart and while many have traversed its vast lands, the spirit of its culture has remained untouched.

This international festival of dance is held four times a year where different individuals and groups from around the world are invited to showcase their own interpretation of Art Nouveau: which is why one of France’s best contemporary choreographers, Emmanuel Gorda, and the best representative of Modern dance in Sweden, Sybrig Dokter, will be here next month.

The evening come 8 February will be saturated with events as two big names in world music will be performing – Depeche Mode and Chris Rea. While tidings concerning the former have been bouncing back and forth for some time now, there has been a much longer hush with regard to the dealings of Mr. Rea. Nonetheless, this rock guitar guru has done his fair share of record deals and sales and there is no doubt his concert here will be a total sellout. So when faced with such a choice, what do you do?

British band Depeche Mode is famous all over the world, but they’ve never been to Ukraine! So fortunately for Kyiv, they’re coming at last! While there have been a few bumpy patches over the course of their career, these three guys have been able to stick it out through thick and thin, and so songs spanning nearly three decades will most certainly be on the line-up. Their latest album, which came out only last spring, was hailed as one of their best to date by the pundits, so this is something you really should go and see. Reach out and touch them at Palace Sport!

But, for weeks now the snow that fell at the end of December (which then compacted into a thick layer of ice) has lain on the streets of Kyiv causing a huge number of people, mostly elderly, to fall and cause themselves serious damage. The streets themselves may have been cleared, but the pavements remain a death trap.

Kyiv City Administration’s street renaming committee head Lidiya Ponamarenko told Kyiv’s Segnodnya newspaper on Feb. 1, “We want to rename a street currently named for a pro-Soviet activist: either Uritskoho Street or Vorovskoho Street. Many people are against this because they don’t think Bandera was a hero”.

Yes, in an interview at the weekend, Dasha, rumoured to have been Hugh Hefner’s girlfriend for some time after her visit to the Playboy mansionm in 2007, said she wants to be the next president of Ukraine. Singer with the girl band Nikita, Dasha said she was very concerned about a great deal of the hype surrounding the elections, and she reckons she could do a better job herself. And we’re not sure we disagree with her.

Now many people believe that Yulia Tymoshenko is pretty good to look at, but Dasha certainly is.