Design Note: 21st Kyiv Dialogue Annual Conference
The design for the 21st Kyiv Dialogue Annual Conference, “Ukraine’s Path into the EU: Resistance, Resilience, Reforms,” was created by Ukrainian designer Alex Korchevski, a graphic designer and lecturer in the history of Ukrainian graphic design.
Lead illustration of the 21st Kyiv Dialogue Annual Conference, 2026
The illustration draws on an original design by Myron Levytsky (1913–1993) for the 1959 cover of Woman’s World, the magazine of a Canadian organisation of Ukrainian women that promoted Ukrainian independence.
Building on Levytsky’s visual language, Korchevski’s illustration combines Kyiv’s pedestrian bridge with an abstracted Golden Gate (Zoloti Vorota) and other imagery from Kyiv and Ukrainian folk art.
Cover of the Magazine "Woman's World", Canada, 1959
The stylised composition presents a culture deeply rooted in Ukraine, with its own history and artistic language, woven into the European wreath of cultures. The sunflower, which turns to follow the sun, echoes Ukraine’s own turn towards the EU, depicted in the stars, framing the illustration.
Kyiv’s pedestrian bridge stands as a symbol of connection and equal dialogue of people: a shared space that must be actively built and cared for, with Ukraine as an equal participant in a shared European space:
“Whenever we cross a bridge, we rely on decisions made decades ago. Connections between societies likewise demand sustained attention and responsibility.” – Alex Korchevski
This conference also provides a space for this: Which connections are we strengthening today, and what will future generations be able to rely on because of our decisions?
The illustration also cites elements introduced at previous Kyiv Dialogue conferences: the Kyivan chestnut blossoms, quoting a design by Ukrainian artist Florian Yuriev (1929–2021), and a colour scheme based on his colour alphabet, first introduced at the 20th Kyiv Dialogue Annual Conference in 2025.
The graphic design for the 21st Kyiv Dialogue Annual Conference 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 15 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 recognized by the Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund. Her work has been featured in the documentary «Дизайн-Культура» (SKVOT, 2026)
Kyiv Pedestrian Bridge, Photo: Maksym Tymchyk
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