Overview

• Despite curfews and blackouts, Ukrainians celebrated Ivana Kupala with traditional bonfire jumping, folk dancing, and flower decorations.
• Thousands attended the festival near Kyiv, donning embroidered shirts and dresses, and creating floral crowns.
• Participants emphasized the importance of maintaining cultural traditions in the face of Russian aggression aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity.
• The festival, held at a national heritage park, featured reconstructed traditional buildings from various regions of Ukraine.
• The event provided a rare opportunity for community bonding and a sense of normalcy amid the ongoing war.