"LETS' STOP AIDS TOGETHER!"...

Two hundred thousand people came to Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) on Saturday evening to listen and look at a world-known star, Sir Elton John. The concert was organized by the "ANTIAIDS" Foundation run by Elena Franchuk .

This event has made people focus their attention to the AIDS issue in our society, - said Elena Franchuk, founder of "ANTIAIDS" Foundation. - It is not enough to just talk about the disease, its spread, and prevention methods. We need to change pattern of people's conduct, instruct them how to live under conditions of the uncontrolled epidemic. AIDS is no longer a remote issue. Now, high-risk group includes not only injecting drug users and commercial sex workers but also all of us. We are all on the edge!

A new joint project sponsored by the Elena Franchuk Foundation "ANTIAIDS" and Elton John AIDS Foundation is said to be implemented during five years. One of its key goals is to provide care to children affected by HIV/AIDS epidemic. Statistical data is quite grim: by 2014, 40 thousand Ukrainian children may lose both of their parents because of this terrible disease, around 169 thousand of them will remain without a mother or a father! These numbers were articulated from all TV screens installed on Khreshchatyk Street. "New channel" did live broadcast TV-marathon under the slogan "AIDS Fight Day".

Condoms were distributed among people who came to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, including those invited to VIP-sector such as: President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko and his wife Katerina, Leonid Kuchma, Elena Franchuk, philanthropist and businessman Victor Pinchuk, Minister of Defence, Anatoliy Gritsenko and his wife, well-known journalist Julia Mostova, Minister of Foreign Affairs Arseniy Yatsenyuk, vice-PM, Mykola Azarov, singers Anni Lorak, Natalia Mogilevskaya, Taisiya Povaliy, managing director of "ICTV" TV channel, Alexander Bogutskiy, ambassador of Russia to Ukraine Victor Chernomyrdin, a famous broadcast journalist, host of Namedni TV program, Leonid Parfenov, actor, Aleksey Il'in...

Those who did not come to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, could see live broadcast of the concert over "New Channel". Mikhail Krupiyevskiy, a professional TV-producer was responsible for the live broadcast of the concert. By the way, it was he who prepared live broadcast of inauguration ceremony of President Victor Yushchenko and that of "Eurovision-2005" song contest. The TV team working for the concert consisted of more than 200 people!

Scenery was being installed for seven days in such a way that the stage is seen from everywhere. Huge video-screens and acoustic speakers were installed along Khreshchatik Street. Elton John could be seen and heard all over the centre of Kyiv. Nineteen TV cameras were used for the live broadcast, one of which was being lifted up to 40 meters.

A couple of days prior to the concert three favourite pianos of Elton John were brought to Kyiv. The musician chose a black lacquered "Yamaha". Sir Elton came out onto the stage 21.00 sharp to play and sing for two hours without stopping. He literally made people burst into cheering form the first chords. Everyone was dancing and joined in singing, even the President! There was a great tornado of prolonged applause. Victor Pinchuk danced with his wife Elena Franchuk to the tunes of the world-known hits. Leonid Kuchma invited Natalia Mogilevskaya for a dance as well as he saw his son-in-law and daughter dancing.

It should be noted that the concert was perfectly arranged. Space in front of the stage was split into separate zones in order to prevent crowd and jostlement. Exits and entrances were finely thought-out and people could easily walk. Since the evening turned out to be very hot some voluntary servants were distributing bottled water. "No way! - one of the guys exclaimed. - The place was even cleaned from rubbish after the concert! European level of organization, indeed!"

Elton John was in royal spirits. He left the stage exactly in two hours after the concert had begun and then... he returned! He dispensed a dozen of autographs signing small flags with the emblem of Elena Franchuk "ANTIAIDS" Foundation and then sang four more songs. Before he started the last song he addressed to everyone in Ukrainian: "Let us stop AIDS together!" Then he continued in English: "I'd like to dedicate the last final song to my friends Elena Franchuk and Victor Pinchuk". The screens started to show snapshots from "Lion King" cartoon, to which the musician composed a song that became one sockeroo of a song.

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