Ukrainian festival benefits homeland's struggle against Russia

Mar. 25—SHARON — As the smell of food and sound of music filled the room, visitors looked over tables covered with examples of Ukrainian culture — from painted Ukrainian eggs, or pysanky, to artwork created by Ukrainian children.

Held on Palm Sunday in the Hope Center for Arts and Technology in Sharon, the 37th annual Ukrainian Egg Festival featured more than 500 eggs painted by master artist Carol Novosel.

Depending on the symbols and colors incorporated into the pysanky's intricate designs, an egg could represent any number of meanings, such as protection or good neighbors.

"There's probably a year's worth of work here," Novosel said of the pysanky on display.

Novosel estimated more than 800 people had visited the festival.

While the festival gave participants a chance to share their culture with others — such as Novosel, who learned the art of pysanky from her mother and grandmother — it was also a chance for visitors to rediscover some of their own cultures as well.

"People would say, 'I remember my mother making this' or 'I haven't eaten Easter bread in years,'" Novosel said.

Among the participants was St. John's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Sharon, which was represented by a few members and a table displaying religious icons for sale.

Icons, depicting important figures and Bible stories, have been a part of Eastern Orthodoxy since the first century and remain an important part of worship for Orthodox Christians, St. John's Deacon James Cummings said.

Since icons are meant to tell a story that can be understood visually rather than a snapshot of a single moment, Cummings said "you write an icon, you don't paint it."

"For an icon about the birth of Jesus, you have Jesus and the virgin Mary, but the three Magi are represented," Cummings said. "Even though the Magi weren't there for Jesus' birth, they're still a part of the story."

Along with the icons, the church also had traditional food including perohy, stuffed cabbage, and chicken Kyiv available for sale.

Music for the festival was provided by Novosel's brother, Vern Worona, who played Ukrainian folk songs on an accordion.

Having previously played in a Ukrainian dance group with his sister during the 1970s and 1980s, Worona said many Ukrainian songs were more than just upbeat tunes.

"A lot of these songs tell stories, so a song might be up-tempo but it will tell about a person or a place or a war that happened," Worona said.

Despite the festival's upbeat atmosphere as participants and visitors chatted, the influence of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine could still be felt, both in conversations and displays.

At a few tables, pieces of artwork created by Ukrainian children were on display. All of the pieces were bright and colorful, but the images themselves varied — from icon-style images and animals to helicopters and "tanks" drawn as red creatures.

Overseeing the art pieces was Stephen Haluszczak, founder and president of the Ukrainian Cultural and Humanitarian Institute, or UCHI.

"All of this was made by children who were orphaned or displaced by the war, so everything they were creating was based on what they saw happening around them," Haluszczak said.

Any art pieces sold would help fund "Warm Hands," an art therapy program in western Ukraine that provides meals and therapy to those affected children.

Each session lasts 10-days, and so far the UCHI has helped fund 12 sessions for Warm Hands, Haluszczak said.

Haluszczak said the UCHI is an all-volunteer group and that "every penny" donated is closely monitored to ensure the funds are spent properly.

A trip to Ukraine is planned for April, but Haluszczak said he has already had the opportunity to interact with some of the children via online calls and conferences.

"They're very young but they recognize what America has done for them and Ukraine, and they know how important America's help is to stopping the Russian invasion, and they're very thankful for it," Haluszczak said of the children.

Officials with St. John's Ukrainian Orthodox Church were also donating proceeds of every icon sold during the festival.

Cummings said the church has collected funds for an orphanage in western Ukraine, and also collects funds for Archbishop Daniel Zelinsky, a high-ranking figure in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. who visited Sharon to bless the church's new dome in 2021.

Zelinsky directs any donated funds toward specific needs in Ukraine, such as new ambulances, Cummings said.

"He's made several trips to Ukraine over the years, so he's been doing a lot of work over there," Cummings said of Zelinsky.

Along with the egg festival, Sunday was the final opportunity for visitors to see the Pysanky Egg and Folk Art exhibit on display in the HopeCAT's Loft Gallery.

The exhibit, which was open throughout March, offered multiple examples of art from different Eastern European cultures, including Ukrainian pysanky eggs, traditional Polish clothing and local historical items.

Novosel and apprentice Jill Fulmer received a 2023-24 apprenticeship in folk and traditional arts from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts, which helped make the exhibit possible.

Like David L. Dye on Facebook or email him at ddye@sharonherald.com.