The event took off at 6 sharp. With the Ukrainian national anthem soaring into the sky and followed by chants praising Ukraine and the heroes.
We prepped to celebrate the Ukrainian Independence Day for nearly a month.
I planned the day surrounding the idea of bringing both the Ukrainian community and the local Dutch community together. Minutes into the start, we were just about done with decorations and final touches.
The event brought along a lot of people...almost more than expected. Children, women, men, neighbours, news, and local municipality and what not.
Huge shoutout to the volunteers who had come to the event but decided to help out. And a shoutout to the security team who always stayed behind the scenes to make sure the atmosphere was safe and secure.
The attendees were welcomed with traditional Ukrainian food - sirnki; an easy-to-make small and thick pancake made mainly of cheese, Holubtsi; a kind of cabbage roll, Bublik; a traditional kind of bread roll, Kampot and juices.
We decided to commission the same catering company from my December event as they have been super reliable but we decided to have our own volunteers distribute the food so that they could also introduce the dishes properly to the Dutch visitors.
At the far corner, we had set up a small pop up street shop. Along with Ukrainian themed keychains and pins, there were handmade crochets and dolls. These dolls are called motanka, and are much more than just dolls. They have a huge historical and cultural value. They are talismans, not dolls, actually.
For children's activities, we took a new approach compared to all the previous events. We held masterclasses with the help of the organizing team and volunteers.
On one side Hennadi was teaching everyone about Dutch cheese and its cultural importance. Also, what are the different kinds of cheese and how they are made. The economic importance and much more.
On the other side, Elizaveta put together a masterclass of Ukrainian art. Why is art important and how does the Ukrainian style of art differ from other styles. She also had some of her work on display for everyone to enjoy and or purchase.
We set up a humble photo session corner decorated in Ukrainian flag colored balloons and flags on the corner. There was also a Dutch volunteer who presented the traditional Dutch outfits and the meaning behind them.
Throughout the event we had multiple live performances from Ukrainian children and adults. Some played songs on the guitar and others brought a lively saxophone performance.
As the sun went down, we held a pop quiz that had questions about the Netherlands and Ukraine. The quiz was held between two groups of ten people and the questions were asked both in English and Ukrainian. Hopefully, by the next event one of us will speak good enough Dutch to do it also in the local language. The winners were given a ticket to a local theatre.
I wish my phone hadn't died so I could share more pictures of this beautiful event with you all. The night ended with a typical "diskoteka" where the DJ played some of the greatest Ukrainian hits and both the Dutch and Ukrainian attendees danced and celebrated in harmony.
Happy Ukrainian Independence day. Victory will be ours.
Happy Ukrainian Independence Day! How great to see the Ukrainian community come together with locals, to share their cultures and customs. It sounds like a very well organized event, a big shout out to you and your team!
That was the idea - strength in unity.
Happy independence day to you to.