Hundreds flood NYC streets for annual Ukrainian festival

Russia’s war on Ukraine tamped down the group at an annual celebration of the European country in Manhattan’s East Village on Saturday — but it did not dampen enthusiasm for Ukrainian culture.

As the Saint George Ukrainian Festival returned right after a two-12 months pandemic hiatus, sellers and festival goers agreed the turnout was more compact than in preceding decades.

″I appreciate this competition — but you know, the Ukraine scenario, you see the individuals not so joyful like in advance of,” claimed Dmytro Khimey, 49. “Some men and women don’t want to celebrate.”

Continue to, hundreds of folks took to the streets of Ukrainian Village, a sub neighborhood of the East Village, for the yearly function.

The block next to Saint George Ukrainian Catholic Church — E. 7th St. in between Second Ave. and Third Ave. — stuffed with men and women wanting to eat regular Ukrainian food items, pay attention to stay tunes, and shop for handmade things.

“This yr is exclusive due to the fact it exhibits that Ukranian lifestyle is alive and Ukranian men and women are continue to continuing to thrive inspite of almost everything,” mentioned artist Liliya Waremchuk, 25, who was selling handmade items.

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As people today proudly waved Ukrainian flags, Boris Trofymov, 40, reported it was the 1st time he has felt at property after immigrating to the U.S. 6 months in the past.

“I overlook my state, so for me it is kind of a little aid to be right here and just be united alongside one another,” stated Trofymov. “We can just occur jointly and celebrate.”

Festival sellers committed their gross sales proceeds on Saturday to Ukrainian relief efforts.

“We’re not holding any of the revenue,” Waremchuk stated. “This is just strictly for Ukraine.”

“One hundred p.c is heading to Ukraine,” mentioned Ivan Perkahlyuk, who was functioning a tent crammed with Ukrainian delicacies.

“We all are volunteers, we all have employment and we are just accumulating money each and every day and sending great deal of stuff” to Ukraine, Perkahlyuk explained.

“Ukraine is our motherland,” he explained. “We have relatives, we have mates — we have a lot of folks to assistance.”