Neighbor Day in Kyiv Date in the current year: May 18, 2024

The celebration of Neighbor Day in Kyiv was initiated by Lyudmyla Kostenko. She was inspired by European Neighbors’ Day, an international observance that was launched in Paris in 1999 to help people cope with loneliness in a big city.

One of the biggest problems of the modern world is that cities are growing, while social ties between their inhabitants are deteriorating because people dedicate most of their time to working, getting to and from work, and solving everyday problems. The situation is aggravated by the fact that many people in large cities live in rented apartments and move often, so they don’t even consider it necessary to get acquainted with their neighbors, let alone become friends with them.

European Neighbors’ Day was launched to help people overcome individualism and alienation, mobilize them to combat social isolation, and encourage to strengthen social ties with other people living in their neighborhood. The joint celebration of European Neighbors’ Day (which is, by the way, celebrated on the last Friday of May) helps neighbors get to know each other better and maybe even become friends or at least good acquaintances.

Neighbor Day in Kyiv has similar goals but another date. It was decided to celebrate it on the third Saturday of May in order to draw more attention to the new holiday: on this day, Ukraine used to celebrate Europe Day. Various events and activities dedicated to Europe Day have been held in Kyiv for years, and they always attract lots of people. Therefore it seemed logical to celebrate two holidays at once on the same day, simply expanding the Europe Day program to include events focusing on Neighbor Day. It should be noted, however, that Ukrainian Europe Day was moved to May 9 in 2023, whereas the date of Neighbor Day remained unchanged.

Neighbor Day in Kyiv is marked with concerts, fairs, picnics, barbecues, festivals, and other events and activities. Some of them are organized by the city administration, but the initiative of the city residents is always appreciated and even encouraged. The task of Neighbor Day isn’t just to give people the opportunity to get acquainted with their neighbors, but also to encourage mutual support and help. According to the holiday’s initiator, it is first and foremost an important social event, and not just an excuse to party.