Ukraine conflict weighs heavy on annual festival
Russia’s war on Ukraine tamped down the crowd at an annual celebration of the European nation in the East Village on Saturday — but it didn’t dampen enthusiasm for Ukrainian culture.
As the St. George Ukrainian Festival returned after a two-year pandemic hiatus, vendors and festivalgoers agreed the turnout was smaller than in previous years.
“I love this festival — but you know, the Ukraine situation, you see the people not so happy like before,” said Dmytro Khimey, 49. “Some people don’t want to celebrate.”
Still, hundreds of people took to the streets of Ukrainian Village, a subneighborhood of the East Village, for the annual event.
The block next to St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church — E. Seventh St. between Second and Third Aves. — filled with people looking to eat traditional Ukrainian foods, listen to live music and shop for handmade items.
“This year is special because it shows that Ukrainian culture is alive and Ukrainian people are still continuing to thrive despite everything,” said artist Liliya Waremchuk, 25, who was selling handmade items.
As people proudly waved Ukrainian flags, Boris Trofymov, 40, said it was the first time he has felt at home after immigrating to the U.S. six months ago.
“I miss my country, so for me it’s kind of a little relief to be here and just be united together,” said Trofymov. “We can just come together and celebrate.”
Festival vendors dedicated their sales proceeds on Saturday to Ukrainian relief efforts. “We’re not keeping any of the money,” Waremchuk said. “This is just strictly for Ukraine.”
“One hundred percent is going towards Ukraine,” said Ivan Perkahlyuk, who was working a tent filled with Ukrainian delicacies.
“We all are volunteers, we all have jobs and we are just collecting money every day and sending lot of stuff” to Ukraine, Perkahlyuk said.
“Ukraine is our motherland,” he said. “We have relatives, we have friends — we have a lot of people to support.”