There will be entertainment for all during a Ukrainian-Polish ‘Slavic Fair’ during the Mary From Dungloe International Arts Festival on Friday 4th August.
Polish Ambassador to Ireland, Anna Sochańska, and Ukrainian Ambassador to Ireland, Larysa Gerasko will be attending the event, under the invitation of Polish and Ukrainian communities from Dungloe and Gweedore.
Anna will be laying flowers at the Dungloe Tunnel Tiger monument during the Fair, a symbol of the mining tradition present in both Poland and Ireland.
The aim of the Slavic Fair is to share with the local communities, visitors and wider Irish public the richness and diversity of Slavic traditions through the customs, folklore and arts.
Various musical performances, singing and dancing, traditional art demonstrations, poems reading as well as presentation of regional ethnic outfits will create one colourful and vibrant mosaic of entertainment for all.
Organisers said: “We are hoping to turn our Slavic Fair into a regular event on the map of Donegal’s cultural life. Our Slavic heritage has a lot more to offer, including traditions created by other present-day Slavs such as Kashubians, Czechs, Slovaks, Sorbs, Slovenians, Serbs, Bosniaks, Bulgarians, Croats, Macedonians, Montenegrins and others. Slavic traditions take us back to our common ancient roots and are a great example of our shared values and beliefs. This fair is meant to be a celebration of peace and communal love. It will shows the strength, solidarity and independence of our intertwined nations.”
Visitors will also enjoy a very diverse craft fair, full of unique hand made pieces and regional produce from Poland and Ukraine.
During the event there will also be a lottery, with wonderful prizes to win.
Traditional Slavic bread used for welcoming guests at the wedding or important functions (Photo by Yana Levchenko)
The Slavic Fair is a charity event and all funds raised on the day will go towards the supply of the Ukrainian frontline with an ambulance which will help wounded civilians and soldiers in getting into safety.
The official opening of the event will be a celebration of the traditional welcome with bread and salt, followed by the singing of Polish and Ukrainian national anthems
For the remainder of the Slavic Fair, Ukrainian and Polish musicians, singers and performers will take to the stage.
Children will also perform in both Ukrainian and Polish languages, showing their young talents in singing, dancing and reciting. They will present a mixture of traditional and contemporary pieces.
Aleksandra Kapusta wearing traditional ethnic outfit from Lowicz region in Central Poland (photo by Dariusz Kapusta)
Maria Pashko – the owner of Ukrainian ethnic clothes collection
Special guest Maria Pashko will present her private collection of ethnic outfits representing different regions in Ukraine as well as different historical periods. Some of the outfits in her impressive collection are over 100 years old.
There will also be a presentation of a beautiful outfit from the Krakowian district in Małopolska. The Malopolanians hail from the Lesser Poland region in southern Poland, with Kraków as its cultural and historical capital. This region is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, including the Tatra Mountains and the picturesque town of Zakopane.
Malopolanians have a strong sense of regional identity and are known for their traditional architecture, medieval castles, vibrant folk costumes, and music influenced by the highlanders of the Tatra region.
Polish Ambassador to Ireland, Anna Sochańska, will be gracing the event by wearing a traditional Krakowian outfit during the Fair.
Everyone is encouraged to wear traditional clothes and bring national symbols and regional artefacts.
Oksana Kurovets – Bandura Player. Bandura is an ancient Ukrainian instrument
On the photo Maja Zbieska and Zuzanna Rajwa wearing traditional ethnic outfit from Silesia region in south of Poland (by Agata Rajwa)
On Sunday 6th August the joint Ukrainian and Polish community will take part in the festival’s parade at Lower Mainstreet, Dungloe.
For more info, visit the ‘Dungloe for Ukraine’ Facebook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/DungloeForUkraine.
If you have any questions please contact Aneta Woźniak Fawcett at 0876127084 or at this email address wozniaka@tcd.ie.
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