Visit of the President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia, Mr. Gilles Ratia, to Luhansk

In accordance with the Program of the President Official Visit agreed upon with Apimondia Secretariat Mr. Gilles Ratia visited the Luhansk National Agrarian University on 9 April 2013. Mr. President had a very warm receipt. The girls in Ukrainian national garments met Mr. Gilles Ratia with traditional bread (korovai) and salt. Apimondia President torn off a small piece of bread, put it into salt and ate it in keeping with the ancient Ukrainian tradition of guests receipt being act of hospitality and demonstration of mutual respect and trust. The Rector of the Luhansk National Agrarian University, Ms. Valentina Tkachenko, and the management of the University welcomed Apimondia President upon his arrival to the Eastern Ukraine and invited him to official meeting.

Press-Conference “Colony loss can turn into a disaster for human kind. Experts from 20 countries are coming to Kyiv to prevent this danger”

The Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress conducted a press-conference “Colony loss can turn into a disaster for human kind. Experts from 20 countries are coming to Kyiv to prevent this danger” on 15 April 2013 in the premises of the News Agency RegioNews, Kyiv, 10-B, Khreshchatyk str., of. 8.

The President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia, Mr. Gilles Ratia, the President of the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress, Mrs. Tetiana Vasylkyvska, the Secretary General of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia, Mr. Riccardo Jannoni-Sebastianini, the President of the Scientific Commission Bee Biology, Prof. Dr. Karl Crailsheim, and the Communication Coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress, Mr. Yuriy Riphyak, participated in the press-conference. The Secretary of the IFBA Apimondia, Mr. Filippo Jannoni-Sebastianini, and the President of the Regional Commission Okeania, Ms. Maureen Maxwell, were present at the Press-Conference in the capacity of the honored guests.

The Communication Coordinator of the Organizing Committee, Mr. Yurij Riphyak, was the moderator of the event. He presented the participants and guests of the Press-Conference to the journalists.

The event and the topical issue discussed attracted the attention of the Mass Media. The journalist were present at the Press-Conference as follows: Yana Koretska (5th channel), Olga Paroschuk (IA “Agro News”), Oleksandr Brodsky and Orest Kogut (newspaper “The development of environment”), Volodymyr Tarasiuk (magazine “Agroworld of Ukraine”), Olga Skotnikova (First National Channel), Oleksiy Sopilniak and Yulia Menel (ICTV) and others.

The danger of bee extinction is one of the most topical ecological issues of the modern world, the bees not only being a source of bee products but also playing key role in plants pollination. The ways of solving these problems will be widely discussed at the XXXXIII Internationa; Apicultural Congress to be held in Kyiv in September – October 2013 and will become a landmark event for both Ukraine and world.

The President of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress, the President of the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress, Mrs. Tetiana Vasylkivska, answering the question “What is Apimondia Congress and what key factors should we know about it?” spoke about Apimondia Congresses, about the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress to be held in Kyiv in September – October 2013, and about the uneasy struggle of 2 Ukrainian NGOs “Brotherhood of Ukrainian Beekeepes” and “Union of Ukrainian Beekeepers” for the right to hold the Congress in Ukraine. She also pointed out the objectives and the tasks of the main Congress Programs.

The visit of the President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia, Mr. Gilles Ratia, and the Members of the Apimondia Executive Council to Ukraine

The official visit of the President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia, Mr. Gilles Ratia, to Ukraine was held on 8-15 April 2013. Simultaneously the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress received the honored guests – the Members of Apimondia Executive Council on 11-15 April 2013 in Ukraine.

A number of important events were held during the visit of Apimondia President and the Members of Apimondia Executive Council. These events were as follows: the protocol session of the Apimondia Executive Council, the meeting of the members of Apimondia Executive Council with the Partners of the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress, the visit of the members of Apimondia Executive Council to the International Exhibition Center – the venue of the future Congress, and the press conference dedicated to the topical issue of colony loss and the methods of bee preservation.

Apimondia Executive Council held protocol session on 12-14 April 2013. During the session important issues of the Federation were discussed. The Members of Apimondia Executive Council listened to the report of the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress on the preparation stage of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress. The Managing Board of Apimondia especially noted the success achieved by the Organizing Committee in terms of the Congress preparation.

Present persons:

The Members of Managing Board of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia:

The President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia Mr. Gilles Ratia

The Vice President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia Mr. Lucas Daniel Martínez

The Secretary General of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia Mr. Riccardo Jannoni-Sebastianini

The Presidents of the Scientific Commissions of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia:

Beekeeping Economy – Dr. Dinh Quyet Tam

Bee Biology – Prof. Dr. Karl Crailsheim

Beekeeping Technology and Quality – Mr. Etienne Bruneau

Apitherapy – Dr. Theodore Cherbuliez

Beekeeping for Rural Development – Dr. Nicola J. Bradbear

The visit of the President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations, Mr.Gilles Ratia, to the apiary “Honey fields”

The President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations, Mr.Gilles Ratia, the President of the Organizing Committee of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress, Mrs. Tetiana Vasylkivska, and the Presidentof the Regional Commission of Okeania, Ms. Maureen Maxwell visited the apiary “Honey fields” on 15 April 2013 within the framework of his visit to Ukraine aimed at the inspection of the preparation stage of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress.

The apiary “Honey fields” is located near a small picturesque village Grebinky, Kyiv Oblast, close to a big pond Protoky. It is headed by Mr. Viktor Vasyliovych Yatsenko, the beekeeper, who’s been working in apiculture for 10 years. ”Honey Fields” is family business established by Mr. Yatsenko and his wife Mrs. Olena Viktorivna Yatsenko. Parent’s passion for beekeeping was adopted by their children. As per moment Mr. and Mrs. Yatsenkos' daughter, Ms. Anatasia Yatsenko, is working as a lector in the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. The son is bee queen breeder at father’s apiary.

”Honey Fields” was created practically on the bare place. When the family bought the land there was nothing there. Today the apiary has a big house, the premises for making the beehives and the spot with 200 beehives. The apiary has a bee breeding facility status meaning it has the right to breed bee queens and sell out the bee families. The species bred here is Ukrainian Steppe Honey Bee.

Mr. President inspected the apiary and the beehive spot and had a very interesting comprehensive conversation with Mr. Oleksandr Yatsenko, the son of Mr. Viktor Yatsenko, about bee queen breeding, its regional peculiarities and secrets.

Mr. Ratia and Ms. Maureen were impressed by the hospitality of the family, by the apiary, its organization and the high criteria applied by Mr. Oleksandr Yatsenko in his work on bee queen breeding. This was an exceptionally pleasant and interesting evening for all the participants.

Visit of the President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia, Mr. Gilles Ratia, to Soledar

The President of the International Federation of Beekeeping Associations Apimondia, Mr. Gilles Ratia, visited the Salt Shaft in Soledar (Donetsk Region) on 12 April 2013 within the framework of his visit to Ukraine aimed at the inspection of the preparation stage of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress.

The Salt Shaft is one of the most interesting tourist sites in Easter Ukraine. The salt mining in the shaft is over as per moment. The depth of the shaft is 300 meters under the ground. The tourists see the grand galleries excavated in the salt-rock as they descend down. The museum, the working church and the speleotherapy sanatorium “Salt Symphony” are established there. There is also an exposition of salt figures made by local masters, including the Palm which imitates the well-known Palm of Mertsalov, the symbol of Donbas depicted in the Coat of arms of Donetsk Oblast. The air of the Salt Shaft is very useful for breathing as it is additionally saturated by the air of the adjacent shaft where the salt is being mined.

The President of Apimondia, Mr. Gilles Ratia, saw the shaft and its facilities and participated in the football match held between the members of the Organizing Committee and the Beekeepers Association of Luhansk Regions. The match ended in a draw. Friendship and fruitful cooperation for the benefit of the XXXXIII International Apicultural Congress was acknowledged to be a winner.