Stand with Ukraine: Ukrainians of Carolina
Authors: Bondarenko Halyna 
Published: November 2024

The activities of Ukrainians from South and North Carolinas, connected with the preservation of Ukrainian cultural heritage and support of Ukraine during the war time are described in the study. Ukrainian community of both states makes up for more than 10 thousand people and consists mainly of immigrants, moving to the USA since the early 2000s. This number has increased significantly after Russia’s full-scale invasion. Community organizations work in many cities. They unite and encourage the cultural activities of the Ukrainian population of the region. The Ukrainian Association of North Carolina (organized by Oleh Wolowyna, registered in 2005) and Ukrainians of Carolina (organized by Olena Kozlova-Pates, established in 2014, registered in 2022) are the most prominent among them. The organizations are non-profit and aimed to promote national culture, preserve folk traditions and art, collect and distribute humanitarian aid for Ukrainians, suffered from the war, families of fallen heroes, warriors of Ukrainian Armed Forces, and for the wounded. During this time they have organized hundreds of events, charity functions, exhibitions, concerts, proceeds from which (hundreds of thousands of dollars) are collected for Ukrainian civilians and military men. The identity markers of Ukrainians of Carolina are analyzed. They include celebration of Ukrainian state, religious and calendar holidays, culinary traditions, skills connected with national arts and crafts (Petrykivka painting, traditional Easter egg painting, embroidery). The ability to speak Ukrainian remains one of the main identifying factors. Facebook pages of Ukrainian community organizations only offer Ukrainian or English languages. Modern forms of ethno-cultural heritage demonstration in Ukrainian communities, and involving American citizens with various ethnic backgrounds include different celebrations and festivals (Vyshyvanka Day, Kupala holiday, Independence Day, etc.), Ukrainian cooking parties, Easter egg, Perrykivka painting master-classes, making traditional rag doll and wreath-plaiting. Olena Zinchuk is known for her Petrykivka painting outside Carolina, her students also work as independent artists in this genre (Anna Sabatini). Participants of Ukrainian artistic events have the chance to explore a collection of authentic Ukrainian clothing and rushnyky (embroidered hand towels) from different regions of Ukraine, preserved in a private collections of Nataliia Tomasian and Lesia Zinchuk. Professional artists also join charity events of the Ukrainian association - movie directors, singers, musicians, dancers - both local, and visiting from Ukraine. The movies showing from Iryna Tsilyk, Natalia Vorozhbyt, concerts of Oleh Skrypka, Dakha-Brakha group and Ukrainian baroque music concert of American piano player Taras Filenko have taken place in the city of Charlotte in 2022. Ukrainian music has been performed here by the singers Bria Blessing and Olena Pavlova. Kobzar Yurii Fedynskyi is an American musician of Ukrainian origin, born in the city of Raleigh. He has travelled over small cities throughout North and South Carolinas in summer. He’s been living in the village of Kriachkivka in Poltava region. He holds an annual kobzar festival there. “Red Viburnum” band has been created, uniting Ukrainians and Americans both in the name and the band itself. It performs almost at all Ukrainian charity events. Unprecedented resistance of Ukrainian people to Russian occupiers, courage and bravery of Ukrainian warriors have attracted attention of American society, ordinary citizens to Ukraine. This is also possible due to the activities of Ukrainian associations of Carolina. Their voice and presence in American society have become noticeable finally.