The triple-digit heat was not enough to keep Iryna Bershadska away from the first-ever Ukrainian Heritage Celebration in Liberty Station on Saturday. It’s been 10 years since she left her homeland and she still misses it.
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“I came to eat,” the airbrush artist from Vista said. “It’s hard to cook and I’m lazy so I saw it and thought, ‘I’m coming.’”
The Ukrainian transplant said the plov alone was worth the drive south. The traditional dish similar to pilaf but served with lamb instantly reminded her of an earlier time.
“It’s hard to cook, so this is the best,” she said.
The inaugural Ukrainian Heritage Celebration was hosted by the Slavic Refugee and Immigrant Services Organization, a nonprofit founded in 2022 by Krystsina Shchelkunova.
Shchelkunova said it was important to toast the history and culture of Ukraine — and also to raise support in the fight against the invasion Russia launched in 2022. She said Americans learn to love the food, art, clothing and other works from Ukraine as soon as they learn about it.
“I want them to know the beautiful food and amazing traditions,” she said. “We would like to bring more culture to the United States, and language as well.”
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The daylong festival featured a variety of foods and desserts, as well as artwork and other offerings from transplanted Ukrainians. The event also included live musical performances, a children’s village, space for talks and workshops, and an artisan village.
Gary Hirsh, a retired orthodontist from La Jolla, said he was interested in learning more about Ukraine because his father was from Ukraine, as were all four of his grandparents.
“I wanted to feel some camaraderie with Ukrainians,” he said. “I thought there would be a lot more people but the heat is keeping people away.”
Hanna Shutieieva emigrated to the United States from Ukraine just two years ago, and is now working as a hair stylist in Point Loma. She said she was proud of her homeland and its distinct culture that is worth fighting to preserve.
“It’s a very good country and very good people,” Shutieieva said. “Thank you to America, who help support us.”
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