Wednesday May 27th 2026
Michailo Ryzhykov and Oleksandra Pertrushevich together with their artwork
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
Two youngsters from Ukrainian families resettled in the Borders have been selected as finalists in an international children’s art competition held under UNESCO patronage.
Earlston Primary School pupil Oleksandra Petrushevych and Mykhailo Ryzhykov, a pupil of Peebles High School, have both been formally recognised for their work and invited to an international award ceremony in France this June.
The young people are taught by Ukrainian artist Svitlana Norel, who has been supporting children locally through art.
The ‘Graines d’artistes du monde entier’ is an international visual arts competition organised by the World Institute of Youth Art (IMAJ), a UNESCO centre in Troyes, France.
The 2026 theme was ‘The Beauty of the Living’, and this year’s competition involved around 7,400 participants from 84 countries.
Svitlana Norel said: “The competition aims to encourage artistic expression and creativity among children and young people, promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding between different countries and cultures.
“It also supports young artistic talent and preserves selected artwork within their international “Memory of the Future” collection.”
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Another child, Svitozar Miroshnychenko, a pupil at Duns Primary School, also received a participation certificate, with his teacher highlighting the positive impact art has had on his confidence and overall development.
Councillor Julie Pirone, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for Education, Youth Development and Lifelong Learning, said:
“I would like to congratulate our young people on their brilliant achievements and wish them the very best of luck as they head to the award ceremony in France in a few weeks.
“This is an incredible achievement for them and the Borders, and they should all be very proud of themselves.”
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