Modular synthesis in Kyiv was the focus of Synth Days, a community event held in the city on Saturday, April 11, on the eve of the Orthodox Easter weekend. The first Synth Days lecture was titled ‘What modular synthesizers are and how to stop being afraid of them’ and was presented by Oleksiy Hrachov of Sitka Instruments, with material oriented toward beginners. The lecture was described as well structured and accessible, aiming to make the topic of modular synthesis clearer and more coherent. The event emphasized educational outreach within the Ukrainian modular scene.

The gathering took place at the NU31 Hacker Space, led by Artem Synytsyn, and included a soldering workshop for Ukrainian-designed Tembra Modular modules. Konstantin Poveda of Crazy Chicken Modular performed live with a hybrid setup combining a modular synthesizer and a laptop, describing the genre as ‘modular hip-hop’ made from sampled drums and modular voices. Organizers and participants noted that the Ukrainian modular community continues to develop even amid war and instability, despite power outages and other challenges. Further educational lectures and performances were planned within the Synth Days framework.

The community event Synth Days took place in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, April 11, on the eve of the Orthodox Easter weekend. The first Synth Days lecture was titled ‘What modular synthesizers are and how to stop being afraid of them.’ Oleksiy Hrachov of Sitka Instruments presented the lecture, which was oriented toward beginners. The lecture was described as well structured and accessible, aiming to make the topic of modular synthesis clearer and more coherent.

The gathering was held at the NU31 Hacker Space, which is led by Artem Synytsyn. The programme included a soldering workshop for Ukrainian-designed Tembra Modular modules. Konstantin Poveda of Crazy Chicken Modular performed live with a hybrid setup combining a modular synthesizer and a laptop, describing the genre as ‘modular hip-hop’ built from sampled drums and modular voices.

Organizers and participants noted that the Ukrainian modular community continues to develop even amid war and instability, despite power outages and other challenges, and further educational lectures and performances were planned within the Synth Days framework.

The first Synth Days lecture

The first Synth Days lecture was titled “What modular synthesizers are and how to stop being afraid of them” and formed the introductory educational session within the Synth Days programme. Oleksiy Hrachov presented the material and is associated with Sitka Instruments; his role at the lecture was to guide attendees through basic concepts and practical setup.

The presentation was primarily oriented toward beginners, with explanations and examples chosen to address common uncertainties about modular systems. Attendees were shown a clear, step-by-step approach designed to make modular synthesis less intimidating and more accessible.

The lecture’s structure was described as well organized and accessible, combining theoretical points with practical demonstration elements. The presenter used a laptop during the session as part of the setup, and the material emphasized hands-on familiarity rather than technical depth.

The session explicitly aimed to demystify modular synthesizers by breaking down core functions and typical workflows. The lecture served as a primer for newcomers and as the starting point for further educational activities planned within the Synth Days framework.

The available sources do not provide this information.

They do not supply further technical or contextual details about Konstantin Poveda’s live set, such as precise module models, signal routing diagrams, modulation sources and destinations, effects chains, software patches, specific sample sources, the duration of the performance, or whether multitrack recordings, session notes, or technical riders exist for the show.

Nor do the available materials offer expanded descriptions of stage presentation, lighting or visual elements, audience size or reaction, soundcheck procedures, or the process by which pre-recorded material was integrated with live modular processing beyond the succinct characterization already present in the article.

For readers seeking more granular information about the hybrid setup, exact sounds used, or the construction and arrangement of the pieces described as ‘modular hip-hop’, the available sources do not provide this information.

The event included community-focused activities alongside lectures and performances, with a practical soldering workshop for Ukrainian-designed Tembra Modular modules offered to attendees. The workshop provided hands-on assembly experience intended to build practical skills among participants and to support use of locally designed hardware. Organizers framed the activity as part of the event’s educational programming and as a way to engage newcomers and hobbyists in the technical side of modular instrument building. The programming aimed to combine learning with direct community collaboration.

A direct reflection on the hackspace’s role and local support was shared by participants: “From the very first interaction with the hackspace, when we held our first workshop there on soldering our Ukrainian-designed Tembra Modular modules, we were met with openness and support.”

The remark was presented in the context of ongoing community development and collaboration, which continued despite wartime instability. Event organisers planned further educational lectures and practical sessions within the Synth Days framework to sustain skills-sharing and communal knowledge exchange. The activities were positioned as part of a sustained effort to maintain and grow the Ukrainian modular scene.

Participants and organisers reported that the Ukrainian modular community continues to develop amid war and instability, and that activities proceeded despite power outages and other operational challenges. Synth Days combined educational lectures, hands-on workshops and live performances as part of its programming. A soldering workshop for Ukrainian-designed Tembra Modular modules was offered to attendees during the event. The first Synth Days lecture was presented with material oriented toward beginners and included practical demonstration elements.

Performances at the event included hybrid setups that paired modular synthesizers with laptops for live presentation. The genre of one performance was described as “modular hip-hop,” combining sampled drums with modular synthesizer voices. Further educational lectures and performances are planned within the Synth Days framework. Organisers indicated these activities will continue under the same event framework to provide ongoing opportunities for learning and community engagement.