Ukrainian Independence Folk Festival at Tryzubivka

By Eugene A. Luciw
Photos Courtesy of Christine Syzonenko

Nearly 3,000 attended the 27th Annual Ukrainian Independence Folk Festival, on Sunday, August 26, at the Ukrainian American Sport Center - Tryzubivka. On a lovely summer afternoon, a cool shady festival glade, adorned with the flags of the United States and Ukraine, and with the vibrant and colorful Ukrainian embroideries, folk arts and crafts, jewelry, emblems, motifs and wares displayed by the vendors, welcomed a very diverse crowd of enthusiastic festival-goers.

Ukrainians, haling, directly or through ancestry, from nearly all regions of Ukraine, demonstrated solidarity with their homeland and her people through their spirited attendance, clothing and accessories: Beautiful embroidered shirts and blouses, flags, Tryzubs, Ukrainian sports and thematic jerseys and our beautiful colors and language affirmed the presence of Ukraine’s immortal and immutable spirit, well before the concert had even started.

Many non-Ukrainians attended and came to know and to experience the brilliant nature, culture and history of a people that, with the will, self-sacrifice and moral courage of free men and women, dares to defy Putin and his formidable arsenal of soldiers, arms, tanks, artillery, naval and air forces, advanced resources for foreign intrigue, and institutionalized weapons and mechanisms of mass destruction and deception.

Also, the Kuban Kozak Society of New Jersey, as well as the Banner of Jasna Gora historical re-enactment group, accented the splendor of the grove with living, walking and talking displays of the clothing, armor, armaments and daily wares from Ukraine’s Kozak era. Their presence and presentation of arms on stage during the festival concert’s opening ceremonies was a brilliant reminder of the struggle of Ukraine’s Kozaks for the freedom, independence and dignity of our ancestral homeland and its people.

A bountiful Ukrainian kitchen and BBQ grill served tasty meals and desserts. An assortment of tap beers, wines, spirits and other refreshments added to the colors and flavors of the day.

Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals - Tryzub’s soccer program’s President, Danylo Nysch, and Anatolij Murha and Julia Stupen, representatives of chief festival sponsor, the Ukrainian Selfreliance Federal Credit Union of Philadelphia, greeted the audience and introduced this writer as the concert’s master of ceremonies.

Matrosy” (Sailors) premiered by Voloshky and Iskra Ukrainain Dance Ensembles

Ukrainian American Veterans Posts 1 (Philadelphia) and 42 (Lehigh Valley), dedicated to the memories of Anthony Bilyi, a young Ukrainian American who sacrificed his life defending Pearl Harbor, and Wolodymyr Palahniuk (“Jack Palance”), respectively, presented the colors. Included was the flag of Crimea and its indigenous Tatar heritage Ukrainian population.

Philadelphia’s own Yuliya Stupen delivered masterful renditions of the US and Ukrainian National Anthems. 

Rev. Protopresbyter Taras Naumenko, Tryzub’s co-chaplain and pastor of St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Philadelphia, Rev. Yaroslaw Kurpel, Pastor of Christ the King and St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Churches, and Pastor Viktor Shchypailo of the First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church of Philadelphia offered prayers and benediction. Then, the Ukrainain Baptist folk choir sang a wonderful “Prayer for Ukraine”.

“Hopak” by Iskra and Voloshky (guys)

Representatives of the area Vietnamese American (led by Teresa Tran and Vicky Ung) and Korean (led by Master Bong Pil Yang, Dr. Chul Soo Lee, Kwang Soo Lee and Rev. Henry Lee) communities, some dressed in their national folk garb, also participated in the opening ceremonies.

Then, a tremendous caste of performers unleashed the “fireworks” of freedom and independence, a robust, colorful, vibrant and briskly paced cascade of Ukrainian music, song and dance that roused the audience time and time again.
As is the tradition at Tryzub, the artists themselves, spearheaded by Voloshky and Iskra Ukrainian Dance Ensembles’ artistic directors, Taras Lewyckyj and Andrij Cybyk, designed, created and executed an integrated collaborative concert program that underscored the theme: “A Celebration of Liberty and Unity”.

Repeatedly, the Volsohky and Iskra dancers, having rehearsed and learned each other’s’ choreographies, took the stage and danced together, as one ensemble. Each number was a dynamic masterpiece that filled the stage with the majesty of Ukrainian dance artistry and generated a seemingly endless stream of encores and audience accolades.

Singer Songwriter Iryna Lonchyna

What is more, the ensembles premiered several dances that they had developed together. One dance, in particular, had been choreographed to the music of Innesa Tymochko Dekajlo’s vibrant violin. She remained on stage and played live to this wonderful Hutsul dance.

The featured performer, Honored Artist of Ukraine Singer-Songwriter, Iryna Loncyna of Ivano Frankivsk, gave an awesome encore performance, a carefully crafted and vibrant mix of her own works as well as well-known Ukrainian folk tunes.
Amazing and inspiring performances by violinist Innesa Tymochko Dekajlo, by the Ariana Lem Joy Trio, by singer Yuliya Stupen, and by a trio of singers, Viktoria Slobodyan, Stepan Slobodyan, and Viktoria Balyak, completed the mosaic of Ukrainian artistic and national unity.

“Hopak” by Iskra and Voloshky (gals)

Throughout the concert Tryzub and the festival-goers received greetings from any number of additional interesting guests: Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA 8th); Philadelphia Superior Court Judge Carolyn Nichols; and State Representative Tom Murt (Rep.). The MC also read and extended greetings from Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US, Valeriy Chaly; Senator Bob Casey (D-PA); and Congressman Brian Boyle (D-PA 13th). Candidates for the newly created 4th PA Congressional District, Dan David (Rep.) and Madeleine Dean (Dem.) also visited the festival and gave brief remarks.    

Another stirring moment occurred when Ukraine’s Army Major Mykola Levkun took the stage and addressed the festival-goers. This fine officer is here for special surgical and restorative treatment for horrific injuries sustained on the “Russian front”. He lost both of his legs and has been wheelchair bound. An organization by the name of Revived Soldiers of Ukraine, a welcome addition to Tryzub’s community service area, had arranged for the Major to be treated here in the US.

Dancers from Voloshky and Iskra join Innesa in premiering ‘Rhapsodia’

Major Levkun, through his very humble, but extremely effective, words, drew the audience’s attention to Ukraine’s current struggle for freedom, dignity and self-determination. He expressed heartfelt thanks to the kindness of the Revived Soldiers organization, to its tireless volunteers and to the Ukrainian community of NYC for helping to raise funds for his “revival”. Under the care of Ukrainian American physician Oleksandra Kapral, the Major underwent reconstructive surgery to his upper right thigh at Coney Island Hospital. He is on his way to Orlando Florida where he will be fitted with appropriate prosthetic devices.  

Another highlight was the arrival of the Chumak Way bicyclists, a group of athletes and Ukrainain war veterans that had biked over 6,000 miles across the Northern hemi-sphere. The festival was their last stop before ending their journey for peace and humanitarian aid for Ukrainian veterans, widows and orphans, at the Holodomor Monument in Washington, DC.   

At the concert program’s finale, The Voloshky and Iskra dancers broke out into a Hopak that was among the most vibrant and majestic that this writer has ever experienced. It was another salute and tribute to the selfless cooperation of the performing artists.

As the encore music of Hopak continued to play, the MC called all of the performers to the stage for a final good-bye. Iryna Lonchyna led a rousing Mnohaya Lita. Shouts of “Glory to Ukraine” – Glory to its Heroes” closed the concert.

Iryna Lonchyna leads the crowd singing “Mnohaya Lita”

A vibrant Zabava-Dance at the outdoor dance pavilion followed to the tunes of the Vox Ethnika orchestra. Face painting, caricature drawings and other amusements were available for “kids of all ages”.