The Washington metropolitan area once again felt the pulse of Ukraine – on September 12-14, the 22nd Washington Ukrainian Festival took place on the territory of St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Silver Spring, Maryland. For three days – from Friday evening to Sunday dusk – the venue turned into a small Ukraine with music, dancing, ethnic cuisine, children’s entertainment and a crafts fair.
This was reported by the event organizer Washington Ukrainian Festival and Saint Andrews Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Metropolitan Washington DC.
The festival is traditionally organized by the St. Andrew’s Cathedral community – the event has long become a calling card of the Ukrainian “mid-Atlantic”, where thousands of guests gather. Groups and soloists performed on the open-air stage, a “Cossack Beer Garden”, a food court and a craft town were also open, and for children – games and attractions. Part of the funds raised will be directed to humanitarian aid to Ukraine – this is a principle that the festival consistently supports.
This year, the emphasis was on the live stage. The Vyshyvanka Dance School joined the program, which attracted a full house with its energetic numbers, in particular, presenting the incendiary “Verbunk”. Among the musical headliners are the Odessa urban folk band Kommuna Lux, which returned to the USA with a charity tour and visited the stage of the Washington Festival, the metropolitan ethno band Gerdan, which has been popularizing Ukrainian melodies in the region for decades, as well as violinist Inessa Tymochko-Dekaylo, whose “Melody” by Myroslav Skoryk is the number when the audience freezes. New this year is a special evening Saturday concert.
A separate line – guest participation from institutions and partners. The Ukrainian House in Washington opened its own booth at the festival with souvenirs and art publications, and there was also a United Help Ukraine booth where you could talk to volunteers, learn about aid programs, and purchase merchandise to support projects. All of this is a simple, straightforward way to turn your weekend into real help for Ukraine.
An important highlight was the presence of Ukrainian defenders. The festival welcomed three veterans who were wounded in the war – Andriy Smolensky, Oleksandr Vykhruk, and Maksym Radyuk. These warriors are currently receiving treatment in Washington. Their stories – a testament to indomitability and the price paid by Ukraine – were met with heartfelt ovations of gratitude for their resilience and courage.
Special projects include two photo exhibitions and a silent charity auction line. American photojournalist Jonathan Brook brought the series “Defenders Without Weapons: First Responders on the Front Lines of the War in Ukraine” – alongside the photographs, real fragments of Russian missiles and shells were displayed so that everyone could literally feel the reality of war. The auction opened with a scarf with children’s signatures – a thank you from young Ukrainians whose lives today depend on aid from overseas. Over the weekend, there was also a competition for two unique flags: one signed by the head of the GUR, Kirill Budanov, the second by fighters from the front line. All the funds raised went to humanitarian needs.
The food court – a favorite part for every Ukrainian – was fully operational: from borscht, lard, varenyky and cabbage rolls to Crimean Tatar chebureks, which have been a hit for the third year in a row.
The festival also provided a hands-on experience for visitors: a separate location introduced drone technology – a symbol of modern Ukrainian defense, and on the pages of the cathedral, the organizers even advised… “to fly and feel at altitude”. Children loved the trampoline areas and Cossack reenactments, while adults enjoyed meetings with artists, lectures and stands of non-governmental organizations.
The Saturday and Sunday fairs were complemented by stands of the Washington Humanitarian Center – from Kosiv ceramics and Petrykivka bells to leather jewelry, fine art and Christmas decorations. As last year, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these products went to humanitarian projects in Ukraine – a transparent model that works and unites.
The event was attended by Oksana Markarova, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States for 2021-2025, whose presence became an important sign of support for the diaspora and partners. For many, it was a symbolic end to her term – with thanks to the people who keep the Ukrainian front in Washington, D.C., working every day.
All in all, it was three days when the U.S. capital region breathed Ukrainian music, flavors, and solidarity. The impeccable organization – from navigation and parking to the stage and food court – combined with what people come for year after year: a sense of the true Ukrainian soul.
Photo: Aleksandra Vasylchenko, Valentyna Kharkhun, Iryna Rybytva, katrysia_positivka, Inna Golovakha, Washington Ukrainian Festival
Author: Diana Khudko