Ukraine at TEKNOFEST-2025: How Hutsul ornament united young researchers from all over the world

Ukraine took part in the world's largest aviation and space technology festival "TEKNOFEST", which was held from September 17 to 21 in Istanbul! The historical mission of the representation was carried out by the Small Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (MAS), which not only presented the country, but also concluded a strategic memorandum with the Turkish company "Baykar". The festival also presented the innovative educational space of the MAS - the Laboratory of Science and Art, which combines the study of natural and exact sciences, intangible cultural heritage and art, and one of the key areas of work of the laboratory "Living Heritage Observatory".

The purpose of which is the interdisciplinary study of intangible cultural heritage, when folk art meets science, advanced technologies and engineering.

In this context, the MAS practice in the protection and research of Hutsul ornament was demonstrated at the festival. This project within the framework of the Science and Art Laboratory clearly demonstrated how traditional art can become a powerful tool for modern scientific research in the fields of mathematics, geometry, chemistry and engineering. The popularity of the Ukrainian pavilion was impressive: an average of 10 thousand participants visited the MAN space every day to get acquainted with this unique project.

For children participating in the festival from different parts of the world, including Ukraine, this was a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in interdisciplinary research: they analyzed the geometric patterns of patterns, learned about the chemical properties of natural dyes used by Hutsul masters, and worked with ornamentation not just as a work of folk art, but as a complex system of knowledge.

A spontaneous intercultural dialogue suddenly arose among the young researchers: it turned out that many participants, including from Turkey and other countries, drew parallels between elements of Hutsul ornamentation and elements from their own cultural heritage. They found common motifs – geometric shapes, solar symbols, plant ornaments.

Thus, the Ukrainian heritage became a catalyst for international dialogue, proving that the past, skillfully read with the help of science, can unite the future.

As the President of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Stanislav Dovgyi emphasized during the signing of the memorandum, such a partnership opens up new horizons for Ukrainian youth. And Ukraine’s first experience at TEKNOFEST proved that education built on a combination of science, technology and art has no borders. The Laboratory of Science and Art became the place where the past met the future, and the Hutsul ornament, studied by children from all over the world, turned into a universal language of mutual understanding and cooperation.