Design Note. 20th Annual Conference
This year’s illustration unites two symbolic layers: the iconic monument on Dnipro's shore to the siblings Kyi, Shchek, Khoryv, and Lybid, the legendary founders of Kyiv, and the chestnut flower, reimagined by Ukrainian artist Florian Yuriev (1929–2021) in his proposal for the city’s coat of arms.
The monument of Kyiv's founders was created to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of Kyiv in 1982. The celebration of a city much older than the USSR's capital Moscow sparked yearlong political debates with the Politburo. However, Ukrainians enjoyed the celebration so much that a public holiday was established which is still celebrated annually on the last Sunday in May: Kyiv Day.
Yuriev transformed the traditional chestnut leaf by adding a delicate blossom as a gesture of renewal and sensitivity, a symbol for life continuing to unfold, even through hardships. This symbolism resonates strongly with this year's conference focus of resilience and self-governance. As one of Ukraine’s most profound colour theorists, Yuriev explored how light, form, and hue could reveal the essence of cultural identity. The illustration subtly incorporates golden yellow into Kyiv Dialogue’s iconic green, providing a patina-like impression for its 20th anniversary.
Yuriev’s legacy includes a colour alphabet, where each hue corresponds to a Cyrillic letter and a musical tone in harmony. The chosen shades of green and golden yellow resemble a rising tone progression like a major chord in Yuriev's theory, symbolizing ascent and vitality.
Yuriev's art and theory celebrates a revival in today's Ukraine. A celebrated documentary "Infinity According to Florian" toured festivals in 2022, and a chatbot lets users transcribe letters into colored shapes.
Left: Yuriev's sketch for the second round of the "Coat of Arms of Kyiv" design competition; Top right: Portrait Florian Yuriev 1950s; Bottom right: Color painting "Vocalization of the Tunguska Song", Florian Yuriev, 1962. Photo credits: Ukrainian Unofficial
The graphic design for the 20th annual conference of Kyiv Dialogue was created by award-winning Ukrainian graphic designer Oleksandra Korchevska-Tsekhosh. She is the author of "History of Ukrainian Design" - the world's first comprehensive course on this subject, while maintaining an active design practice. She teaches at the School of Media Communications and Journalism at Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.
With 14 years of design experience, she has received 9 awards, including Ukrainian Creative Design Week, ADC*UA, and TDC Certificate of Typographic Excellence (2023). In 2023, she was appreciated by the Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund.
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