Ukrainian Community Day is a new event and celebration of Ukrainian culture at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY. The event, on Sunday, September 22, 2024, will feature a diverse lineup of Ukrainian music including The Ukrainian Village Voices, singer Maria Sonevytsky, bandura player/Singer Olya Fryz, and Eva Salina, founder of internationally-acclaimed group, Driftwood Chorus. Activities will include Ukrainian folk medicine plant walks, dance instruction, hands-on workshops showcasing Ukrainian potters, and wool spinning & weaving artists.

According to The Ukrainian American Youth Association of the Hudson Valley, there are nearly 500,000 Ukrainians in NY, many of whom call the Hudson Valley home, and many more visitors. In the HV alone, there are over 3,000 refugees who fled the war-torn country, all leaving loved ones behind, and families torn apart.

“The natural beauty and wooden architecture of the Ashokan Center invokes a sense of the Ukrainian mountain communities, creating a meaningful and resonant backdrop for this event. Showcasing and connecting with Ukrainian culture and community helps bring the issues in Ukraine closer to people’s hearts and helps support its resilience and fight for freedom.” -Danylo Mykula, Ukrainian American Youth Association

WORKSHOPS
Ivan Bratko is a Ukrainian artist, sculptor, potter, and educator from Ukraine, a master potter of traditional techniques. Ivan Bratko will demonstrate Ukrainian Pottery and lead participatory workshops offering attendees a chance to explore traditional Ukrainian pottery techniques.

Eva Salina, a star in the folk singing world who started the group Driftwood, sings with Zozulia, formerly sang with Hilka (part of the Chornobyl Songs Project). Eva will lead Ukrainian folk singing workshops.

Sasha Botanica is an herbalist and artist in the Hudson Valley will lead a Ukrainian Folk Medicine Plant Walk noting the vast similarities between Ashokan’s landscape and that of Ukraine.

PERFORMANCES
Bourbon & Breast Milk is a community choir that’s been singing in the Mid Hudson Valley for going on 7 years. The group collects village songs from the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Ukraine.

Maria Sonevystky has sung Ukrainian village songs with Zozulka and produced an album called “The Chornobyl Songs Project” on Smithsonian Folkways in 2015 with Ensemble Hilka. Maria has performed in the Yara Arts Group production “Scythian Stones,” which we performed in New York, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and Kyiv, Ukraine.

Driftwood Chorus is a Hudson Valley community chorus started by singer, Eva Salina. Driftwood’s songs are gathered and shared from a variety of traditions, and include Balkan, Corsican, Georgian, Ukrainian and American folk harmonies.

Ukrainian Village Voices is a culturally diverse group of folk singers based in New York City, uniting members of the Ukrainian and larger folk music communities

Olya Fryz injects a new and expressive energy into the music industry with his distinctive musical style, which combines a variety of cultural elements.

Zoya Shepko & YiYi Folk Ensemble is a brand new, lively band of experienced musicians. One of the members, Zoya Shepko, was born, raised and homeschooled in Gardiner, NY and was a founding member of Korinya Ukrainian Folk Band.

Ruby Pinyuh-Derovan
A shoe-maker by trade, Ruby’s deep love of handcraft led her to Guatemala to study traditional backstrap loom weaving. Always inspired by the natural world, Ruby spends time naturally dying plant and animal fibers, weaving baskets, and continuing to explore the world of textiles.

FOOD & SHOP
Soyuzivka, the Ukrainian American cultural center in Kerhonkson, will be on site bringing authentic flavors and culinary delights with a variety of delicious Ukrainian food.

The Ukrainian American Youth Association of the Hudson Valley will be selling a range of items, including shirts, sweatshirts, handmade jewelry, collectible Ukrainian stamps and more.

TICKETS
Ashokan’s all-age tickets work on a sliding scale with $20 as the suggested price of the event, $10 as the minimum, and $30 to be a supporter, which allows the Ashokan Center to provide tickets to those who are financially unable to attend otherwise.

50% of all proceeds will be donated to Ukrainian-American Youth Association of the Hudson Valley. The support for Ukrainian American Youth Association’s (UAYA) efforts to aid children and hospitals in Ukraine is incredibly important, especially given the current challenges the country faces.

Tickets and full details are available at https://ashokancenter.org/product/ukrainian-community-day-2024

Ukrainian Community Day is collaboration between the Ashokan Center, Ukrainian American Youth Association of the Hudson Valley, Soyuzivka – Ukrainian National Foundation, Animal Stone Productions and Andy Teirstein – Musical Director and event coordinator, and Halyna Shepko – Ukrainian Community Consultant.