Joy alongside gravitas at Ukrainian fest
Fund-raising event shows off country’s culture
Ukrainian pride was on full display Saturday at the Boston Annual Ukrainian Festival.
A youth dance troupe leaped and twirled to folk music, clad in vibrant, embroidered traditional dress. Hundreds crowded around the main stage to watch, many decked out in blue and yellow face paint. Beside them, a jumbo Ukrainian flag made from blue and yellow balloons waved in the breeze.
The second annual festival drew thousands to Boston University’s campus for an afternoon of Ukrainian music, dance, and cultural traditions.
Organized by the nonprofit Sky Philanthropy, the event was also a fund-raiser to support Ukrainians in the ongoing war with Russia. Between a silent auction and dozens of food and craft vendors, organizers said they hoped to raise $100,000.
“Ukraine right now is at the forefront of the world, fighting for democracy and freedom,” said Olga Lisovska, a cofounder of Sky Philanthropy, who is from Ukraine but lives in Newton. “We want them to know that we understand, appreciate, and we stand with them.”
Many of the wares for sale offered uplifting messages about Ukraine’s prospects of winning the war. At Lena Neruk’s tent, patrons could purchase a blue and yellow “smell of victory” candle, or a glass ornament spelling out “freedom” in Ukrainian.
“We believe that freedom is the most important,” said Neruk, president of New Hampshirebased philanthropy organization Dobro New England. “No matter what, we’re going to win the war.”
Natalia, a Kyiv-born refugee who moved to Watertown last year, offered buyers a literal piece of Ukraine in her earrings, which she makes by hand using jewels and amber mined in that country. The proceeds go to support her father and nephews, who are still in the country’s war-torn capital.
“Life gave me lemons, and I try to make lemonade,” said Natalia, who declined to give her last name, through a translator. “Never, never, never give up.”
Though the event drew many Ukrainian Americans from across New England, it was also intended to draw a connection between Ukrainian culture and
Bostonians — one of the festival’s taglines was “Strong as Bostonians, brave as Ukrainians.”
Organizers hoped the festival would help locals “get to know our culture and enjoy, because it’s very bright and colorful and authentic,” said Natasha Sky, the other cofounder of Sky Philanthropy.
“[People] think about Ukraine just with the war happening,” Neruk said. “We want to show a different side of it.”
Attendees praised programming for providing a glimpse into Ukrainian traditions.
“[The vendors] are very open and telling me about their culture,” said Bianca Ortiz, a graduate student at Boston University. She especially enjoyed watching the youth dance troupe, noting that Russia has tried to suppress Ukrainian customs. “I’m really glad that they’re teaching them that at a young age.”
Still, there was a somber undertone running throughout the revelry.
As a Ukrainian singer took the stage to sing a melodic, traditional song, Sky’s voice caught with emotion. “It’s a very meaningful song about the mothers and the children, and Ukrainians are big on protecting their families,” she said. “And right now, we cannot protect every family.”
Neruk said a bomb recently hit just two blocks away from her father’s home in Ukraine.
“It’s a beautiful country, beautiful people,” she said. “Every life matters.”