From: New Voice of Ukraine
Swindon’s ‘UkraineFest’ has seen thousands of attendees since it was first held three years ago. While support wanes elsewhere, the festival continues to celebrate Ukrainian culture. Its success with British locals says a lot about the town’s welcoming attitude towards those who fled the Russian invasion.
A warm summer day. The eye-catching red and white of vyshyvankas. Folk songs and the sight of a bandura, a Slavic lute. Given the unmistakably Ukrainian scene—women ladling borsch into bowls and performing traditional dances—one could easily mistake the setting as Kyiv or Lviv. Yet—not so. This was instead the ‘UkraineFest’ in Swindon, a post-industrial town of 230,000 people just west of London.
While the Slavic optics may seem anomalous, what is surprising about this event is less the setting and, rather, the large number of local British attendees.
“There’s been a really concerted effort to make sure that people come together” said Kris Talikowski, vice-chair of Swindon Welcomes Ukraine, a civil society group which helps to organise the festival.
Voice of Ukraine 