On 22 October 2025, an Evening of Remembrance for Elina Abarkarova-Nischal took place at the India International Centre in New Delhi.

The event was organized by her husband, Mr. Jasbir Nischal, with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in India and the India–Ukraine Friendship Association, and was attended by friends, members of the Ukrainian community, and representatives of the Embassy.

Ambassador of Ukraine Dr. Oleksandr Polishchuk and Jasbir Nischal shared heartfelt reflections on Elina’s life and creative path. Jasbir also presented videos and photographs, offering warm memories of her art, her travels, and the inspiration she brought to everyone who knew her.

Elina was a Ukrainian artist, architect and classical Indian dancer, educated in Berezhany (Ternopil region) and Lviv, where she graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Lviv Polytechnic Institute.

She was a trained yoga teacher and had students in India, Ukraine and many other European countries. She deeply understood and cherished Indian philosophy, culture and spiritual traditions, while remaining true to her Ukrainian identity.

Elina visited Nepal in 1994, where she joined the National Dance School to study classical dance. Her long-cherished dream to visit India was fulfilled when she received a three-year scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in 1999 to pursue training in Indian classical dance.

She first came to India in 1999, where she was trained in Kathak under the guidance of the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj at his renowned institute Kalashram. Later, in 2005 and again in 2011, she returned to India to study Bharatanatyam under Guru Anjana Rajan. In addition to dance, she also learned to play the Tabla, a classical Indian percussion instrument.

She founded and led the Amrita Dance Ensemble in Ternopil, which became one of Ukraine’s best-known groups of Indian classical dance. She performed across India, including her solo concert “India – The Search” in New Delhi in 2014, organised with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine and the India–Ukraine Friendship Society.

She also acted in the Nepali feature film Chokho Maya, and in several documentaries showcasing her versatile artistic talent.

As a painter, she created luminous works inspired by the Himalayas, Nepal and India, reflecting her fascination with nature, movement and spiritual beauty. Her 2017 exhibition “The Beauty of Art and Nature” at the ICCR Art Gallery brought together artists, diplomats and admirers of her art.

Since the very first days of Russia’s invasion, Elina stood by Ukraine with her heart and her art. She helped the Embassy of Ukraine in India organise cultural and humanitarian projects, including the photo exhibition “Children vs War, Light vs Darkness” and Petrykivka painting workshops for children. She also contributed to Easter and Christmas celebrations, bringing colour, kindness and light wherever she appeared.

Elina embodied a rare harmony: open to the world, yet rooted in her own culture; a bridge between Ukraine and India, between East and West.

She was a person of light, wisdom and inner strength — one of the most inspiring members of the Ukrainian community in India.

Her husband lovingly said that she was “an Indian soul in a Ukrainian form.”

We will remember her always — with gratitude and light. Om Shanti.