With the lead-up to Christmas being awash with parties and festivals, there can be little doubt that the Ukrainian Cultural Association of Winchester may have more reason than most to come together at this special time of year.
The Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association, a non-profit community group formed with support from the city council and Community First, held its first celebration of Christmas at the Guildhall on Saturday, December 16.
Many of the families at the celebration have lived in the community since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. Most are women and children who have been separated from their loved ones who remain in their home country.
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But the festival was all about keeping traditions and cultural ties alive, and welcoming everyone from the area to celebrate all that it means to be Ukrainian at Christmas time.
Adults and children were dressed in traditional outfits and performed songs and short plays to a packed auditorium. The youngest performer was only five years old, and the eldest was in her 70s.
They had been in rehearsals taking over two months, the hard work was evident, as was the enjoyment on the faces of all the performers.
Chair of The Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association, which was only formed in September, Yulia Dubovyk, said: “We are happy that the Ukrainian community in Winchester has now got a formal voice and we’re able to support Ukrainians in the district and contribute to the local community. We are grateful to Winchester City Council and Community First for the ongoing support and excited about our future projects.”
Yulia said she was lucky to have found such a welcoming community in Winchester and smiled as she said that she’d yet to come across a single person who hadn’t made her feel welcome.
The Cultural Association consists of almost 400 people and, in the short time since its conception, it has spawned a real sense of community.
The association is supported by the city council, and the performers certainly made the best use of the Guildhall on Saturday.
Not only was everyone made to feel welcome, but they were also treated to a huge spread of traditional homemade Ukrainian food.
The city council's cabinet member for community Cllr Kathleen Becker said: “I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to support the creation of the Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association in partnership with Community First.
“Winchester’s Ukrainian community is a vibrant and valued part of our district and I wish the association every success - and its members a very Merry Christmas!”
The event also saw a Ukrainian-English concert, a Vertep or Ukrainian nativity performance, a photo zone with Ukrainian attire, authentic Ukrainian cuisine, and a variety of workshops.
The Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association, while currently having a smaller membership, is led by the committee, consisting of chair Yuliia Dubovyk, along with vice chairs Olena Hrebeniuk and Olha Roniv and treasurer Maryna Holubenko.
The Winchester Ukrainian Cultural Association has a Facebook page, where it shares information about events and projects.
Click the top image to see a gallery of pictures taken by photographer Peter Nicholson.
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