site.btaBulgarian-Ukrainian Cultural Centre Celebrates Christmas

The Bulgarian-Ukrainian Cultural Educational Center Media with director Ekaterina Gerzhik held a series of festivities on the occasion of Christmas Eve and Christmas. Despite the challenges related to the current situation in Ukraine, the festive spirit was preserved and celebrated with theatrical performances, musical concerts and interactive events, the Center's deputy director Irina Mihova told BTA.

The theatrical performance "Christmas Eve", directed by the teacher of Bulgarian language and literature Kristina Marinova, was presented at the Media Centre in the village of Krynychne, Bolhrad municipality. It was attended by students from 5th - 8th grades.

Musical concerts and dinners were organized in the villages of Vasylivka, Kalcheva and Tabaki. And festive events in the cities of Odesa, Kiyv and Lviv were held in shelters or in a remote format due to missile alerts that called for safety measures, the deputy director said.

The children of Media in the village of Vasylivka interviewed the oldest resident of the village - Akulina Vasilieva. She talked about the ancient ritual of "koleduvane" that ethnic Bulgarian immigrants brought with them in the 1830s when they founded the village of Vaisal (now Vasylivka) in the Bolhrad municipality, Odesa Oblast.

Based on her stories, the students recreated the tradition and visited the villagers. Recordings of the events, including the reenactment of the koleduvane ritual, are available on the Facebook page of the Bulgarian-Ukrainian Media Center.

Director Ekaterina Gerzhik extended wishes to everyone on the occasion of Christmas and New Year.