Latest news with #IvanaKupala
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wiltshire festival asks world 'not to forget about Ukraine'
The summer solstice celebration of Ivana Kupala was held in Malmesbury this the wreath making, flower crowns and traditional music, refugees and locals asked the world not to forget about the war in Khotynska fled Ukraine two years ago and said most people are thinking about the "situation in Iran and Gaza" adding "it's really important to remind everybody about Ukraine".For the third year running the group - Malmesbury Stands with Ukraine - organised the Ivana Kupala festival in the grounds of Malmesbury Abbey. Among the traditional Ukrainian songs sang by the Malmesbury Ukrainian Choir was one new song "Flowers of Ivana Kupala" was created after the melody came to local composer, Julian Kay, in a said: "I dreamt of a Slavic-sounding tune and thought this could be useful."Mr Kay gifted it to the Malmesbury Ukrainian choir's lead, Debbie Cambray-Smith, and local Ukrainian, Slava Rubinska, wrote the song is about the Ivana Kupala flower crowns offering hope of happiness in this world.
Times
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Reliving Britain's strength in adversity — and other news in pictures
Ukrainians jump over a bonfire during celebrations for the traditional pagan holiday of Ivana Kupala in Kyiv, usually celebrated on the shortest night of the year SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA Thousands of bikers arrive at Barrow-in-Furness for Dave Day 2, to celebrate the life of the Hairy Bikers presenter Dave Myers. He died from cancer at the age of 66 last year GREENBURN/ALAMY A trio of one-month-old hoglets are due to be released after they were accidentally picked up by an excavator before being taken to a rescue charity, Help4hedgehogs, near Hailsham in East Sussex JON SANTA CRUZ The Turkish mosaic artist Gulcin Sokucu, who reflects her fascination with sunflowers in her work, stands in a field of them in Gaziantep, southern Turkey ADSIZ GUNEBAKAN/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES JOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY IMAGES SHIRLAINE FORREST/GETTY IMAGES Robert Springett, the Bishop of Tewkesbury, immerses Laura Raymond in cold water for her baptism in a paddling pool during the heatwave at St James Church in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire PAUL NICHOLLS PHOTOGRAPHY The 8th French Lightsaber Open takes place at the Japy gymnasium in Paris ROMAIN PERROCHEAU/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Ed Kluz's immersive exhibition 'Between Chaos and Light' will be in place until December 21 inside Fountains Hall at the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal world heritage site in North Yorkshire, running from the summer solstice to the winter equivalent TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP The British rider Chris Froome, of the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team, relaxes in a cable car after competing in the eighth and last stage of the Tour de Suisse, a 10.1km individual time trial from Beckenried to Stockhütte, Switzerland URS FLUEELER/EPA The blessing of the River Avon took place at Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, by the Rev Canon Nick Davies, vicar of Tewkesbury Abbey. The blessing of the river is both spiritual and symbolic, calling on people of all faiths and none to unite in environmental stewardship JACK BOSKETT MEDIA LIMITED A farmer watches over a flock of sheep at Gèdre, southwest France. Attacks by bears force them to seek safer pastures higher up in the Pyrenees VALENTINE CHAPUIS/AFP Revellers dance in the street during Fête De La Musique 2025 as bands and DJs play across the French capital. Launched in 1982 by the French culture ministry with the aim of making all genres of music accessible to everyone, the festival is now celebrated on the summer solstice in 85 countries KIRAN RIDLEY/GETTY IMAGES Exercises with Samoyed puppies on International Yoga Day in Bangkok, Thailand CHALINEE THIRASUPA/REUTERS People cool off at Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, Chicago, as temperatures climb to more than 35C. Excessive heat is expected in the area for the next few days KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP Tourists enjoy a boat ride at Marmaris in southern Turkey SABRI KESEN/ANADOLU/GETTY IMAGES Couples kiss during 'The Wedding: New York's Biggest Day', an annual event that allows people to celebrate their love either by getting married for the first time, renewing their vows or simply expressing their love for the city at Lincoln Center in Manhattan HEATHER KHALIFA/REUTERS The annual Shandur polo festival takes place at Shandur Pass at an estimated altitude of about 3,700m (12,140ft) in Chitral, northern Pakistan KHURAM PARVEZ/REUTERS Sylvain André of France competes in the men's elite first round during the 2025 UCI BMX racing world cup at the Papendal sports centre in Arnhem, Netherlands RENE NIJHUIS/MB MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES Dawn at Esthwaite Water, a 280-acre natural lake in the Lake District
Hamilton Spectator
21-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Ukrainians celebrate midsummer traditions with song, dance and fire
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Hundreds of Ukrainians observed the longest day of the year on Saturday with a midsummer celebration of some of their oldest traditions, a display of cultural perseverance in a nation threatened by war. Rooted in Ukraine's ancient past of Slavic paganism the event, Ivana Kupala, features rituals and symbolism to honor the summer solstice, related to fertility, nature, purity and renewal — values that predate the region's Christianization at the end of the first millennium. At the open-air National Museum of Folk Architecture and Ukrainian Life on the outskirts of Kyiv, participants in embroidered shirts and blouses strolled among thatched-roof cottages, wooden churches and windmills dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. Women and girls wore vinoks — wreaths made from wildflowers — as they took part in folk dances, games and craft workshops. Viktoria Phi, a master of folk art at the museum, taught visitors to weave the colorful flowered headdresses. She said that Ivana Kupala, which also has variations in other Slavic countries from the Czech Republic to Bulgaria to Russia, was a 'small oasis' in the war in Ukraine, where people can 'walk and enjoy nature, architecture, songs and dances.' 'It's most popular among young people, and I am very happy when a family comes with young children,' she said. As the sun began to set over the wheat fields and wildflower meadows, hundreds formed a circle around a pyramid of logs. When the bonfire was lit, flames climbed into the twilight sky as music swelled and people spun around the pyre hand in hand. In a purification rite, some leapt over the burning embers. With Russia's war in Ukraine now in its fourth year and aerial attacks on cities intensifying, for some the observance of old folk customs holds deeper meaning. Saba Alekseev, 25, said the event gave her a chance to 'breathe some fresh air without thinking about (the war), for some time at least, because it's impossible to put it out of your mind under shelling.' For 18-year-old Sofia Orel, it was a reminder that 'it is crucial to support Ukrainian culture and traditions, especially since the war started, because this way we preserve what is ours.' 'As I am weaving a wreath, I'm thinking that I will teach my daughter how to do it,' she said. 'These are our traditions and they have to be passed on and honored.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Toronto Star
21-06-2025
- General
- Toronto Star
Ukrainians celebrate midsummer traditions with song, dance and fire
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Hundreds of Ukrainians observed the longest day of the year on Saturday with a midsummer celebration of some of their oldest traditions, a display of cultural perseverance in a nation threatened by war. Rooted in Ukraine's ancient past of Slavic paganism the event, Ivana Kupala, features rituals and symbolism to honor the summer solstice, related to fertility, nature, purity and renewal — values that predate the region's Christianization at the end of the first millennium.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-06-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Ukrainians celebrate midsummer traditions with song, dance and fire
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Hundreds of Ukrainians observed the longest day of the year on Saturday with a midsummer celebration of some of their oldest traditions, a display of cultural perseverance in a nation threatened by war. Rooted in Ukraine's ancient past of Slavic paganism the event, Ivana Kupala, features rituals and symbolism to honor the summer solstice, related to fertility, nature, purity and renewal — values that predate the region's Christianization at the end of the first millennium. At the open-air National Museum of Folk Architecture and Ukrainian Life on the outskirts of Kyiv, participants in embroidered shirts and blouses strolled among thatched-roof cottages, wooden churches and windmills dating to the 18th and 19th centuries. Women and girls wore vinoks — wreaths made from wildflowers — as they took part in folk dances, games and craft workshops. Viktoria Phi, a master of folk art at the museum, taught visitors to weave the colorful flowered headdresses. She said that Ivana Kupala, which also has variations in other Slavic countries from the Czech Republic to Bulgaria to Russia, was a 'small oasis' in the war in Ukraine, where people can 'walk and enjoy nature, architecture, songs and dances.' "It's most popular among young people, and I am very happy when a family comes with young children," she said. As the sun began to set over the wheat fields and wildflower meadows, hundreds formed a circle around a pyramid of logs. When the bonfire was lit, flames climbed into the twilight sky as music swelled and people spun around the pyre hand in hand. In a purification rite, some leapt over the burning embers. With Russia's war in Ukraine now in its fourth year and aerial attacks on cities intensifying, for some the observance of old folk customs holds deeper meaning. Saba Alekseev, 25, said the event gave her a chance to 'breathe some fresh air without thinking about (the war), for some time at least, because it's impossible to put it out of your mind under shelling.' For 18-year-old Sofia Orel, it was a reminder that "it is crucial to support Ukrainian culture and traditions, especially since the war started, because this way we preserve what is ours.' 'As I am weaving a wreath, I'm thinking that I will teach my daughter how to do it," she said. "These are our traditions and they have to be passed on and honored.'
