ukrainianmuse

Discover the soul of Little Ukraine! Join the Lower East Side Preservation Initiative in partnership with The Ukrainian Museum for a captivating stroll through the Ukrainian Village — one of the most culturally rich pockets of New York’s East Village. This vibrant neighborhood, home to 60,000 inhabitants of Ukrainian heritage after WWII, still pulses with history, flavor, and community spirit. Today, as a new wave of Ukrainian immigrants and refugees reinvigorates the area, the legacy of generations past continues to thrive in its churches, eateries, shops, and institutions. 

Together, we’ll visit key landmarks — from iconic Veselka to hidden gems like Streecha and the Shevchenko Scientific Society — hearing stories of resilience, identity, and tradition along the way. Whether you’re new to the neighborhood or want to see it through a fresh lens, this walking tour promises an unforgettable afternoon of history, culture, and connection. The tour begins at The Ukrainian Museum at 222 East 6th Street. Tour participants will be treated to a complimentary serving of delicious borsch or other soup courtesy of Veselka restaurant.

The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA) is proud to announce the launch of its landmark centennial history book, A Century of Commitment: The UNWLA Story (1925–2025), by Dr. Martha Kichorowska Kebalo. Generously sponsored by the Orest and Lidia Bilous Family Foundation, the book chronicles the UNWLA’s remarkable journey — from its founding in 1925 by visionary Ukrainian American women, through decades of advocacy, humanitarian aid, and cultural and educational initiatives, to its steadfast support for Ukraine in its most critical hour. Guests will gain unique insights into the inspiration, research, and challenges behind this historic work, along with stories that illuminate how UNWLA members — as both keepers of tradition and agents of change — have shaped the Ukrainian diaspora and made a lasting impact on American society. The program will include a reading by the author, a Q&A session, and a book signing. Attendees will enjoy light refreshments and have the opportunity to purchase the book on-site. Following the program, please join us for a short tour of The Ukrainian Museum’s new exhibition celebrating the UNWLA’s 100th Anniversary, The Wreath: A Century of Ukrainian Women Beyond the Ocean, led by the exhibition’s curator, Lilia Kudelia. This event is free of charge with your purchase of general adult admission to The Ukrainian Museum on Eventbrite. There is no Museum admission fee for Museum members, but members must register on Eventbrite as space is limited.

Open Group is a Ukrainian artist collective whose projects seek to explore interactions between people and contextual spaces with environments that are unpredictable, creating so called “open situations.” Their latest work, the video installation Repeat After Me (2024), is a portrait of the civilian victims who are the witnesses to Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. Repeat After Me will be on view on the High Line at 14^th Street from July 10 through September 7, screening daily from 5 pm until 10 pm. Join the artists on the High Line on Thursday, July 10, at 7 pm for a seated conversation, film screening, and varenyky (aka pierogies). More information about the Artist Talk & Premiere can be found on the High Line website event page or www.thehighline.org. Admission is free with advance RSVP.

The following evening, Friday, July 11, at 6.30 pm, the Ukrainian Museum and the High Line are pleased to co-host a Meet & Greet event at the Museum where participants will be able to enjoy wine and personal conversations with the collective’s permanent members, Yuriy Biley and Anton Varga, and hear from them about their other projects. Admission to the Meet & Greet at the Museum is free, but registration is required on Eventbrite. 

Join us for a special event with a member of our community, Luis Alonzo Barkigia, who was born in Tijuana, Mexico and moved to the United States as a child. Luis will give a talk about his complex Mexican heritage, and his experience as an immigrant in the US and how it ties into the common experience most immigrants share. He will also talk about his experiences working at the Ukrainian Museum and the impressions the exhibitions he was involved with have had on him. This event will be conducted mostly in English with some parts in Spanish. The Museum invites the Hispanic community, as well as all others, to this event about the immigrant journey shared by so many. This event is free but registration on Eventbrite is required.

Meet our Guest Speaker:

Luis Alonzo Barkigia was born in Tijuana, Mexico in 1973 and moved to the United States at the age of five. He studied Visual Arts at the University of Illinois at Chicago and has also lived in Germany, Sweden and South Africa. Luis currently runs a fine woodworking business in Jersey City. He has been framing the exhibitions at the Ukrainian Museum for several years.

The Ukrainian Museum, in collaboration with the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA), proudly presents an event honoring one of Ukraine’s most iconic literary figures, Lesia Ukrainka, and her timeless dramatic poem, Cassandra. A political, civil, and feminist activist, Lesia Ukrainka left behind a legacy of poems, plays, essays, and activism for the Ukrainian language and identity. In the dramatic poem Cassandra (1907), the author portrayed the fate of Ukraine through the history of the Trojan War; using the title character as her messenger, Lesia Ukrainka challenged the Ukrainian people to lose their inertia and apathy towards Russian oppression. More than a century later, the poem continues to resonate and can be applied universally to people’s struggles against oppressive subjugation, illuminating the fight for truth and what happens when truth is spoken to power. Our guest speaker, author and scholar Dr. Tamara Hundorova, will be joined by the producer, director, and actors from a forthcoming production of this work to celebrate Lesia Ukrainka’s legacy and discuss the relevance of Cassandra in today’s world. More information and tickets are available on Eventbrite. The UNWLA and the Ukrainian Museum are co-sponsors of this event.

Yara Arts Group is a resident company of the world renowned La MaMa Experimental Theatre in New York. Virlana Tkacz founded Yara and has created over 40 shows with the company since 1990. Join us at The Ukrainian Museum for a celebration of Yara Arts Group’s 35th Anniversary with a special presentation by Virlana Tkacz. She will show images and talk about how Yara creates its visually stunning theatre pieces that explore contemporary and traditional cultures of the East, especially Ukraine, Central Asia and beyond. Because of the diversity of Yara artists, they have privileged access to magnificent texts from overlooked cultures. Each Yara production is an original theatre piece created in rehearsal with texts they have translated. Yara collaborates with artists who perform in their own languages. What follows is a layering of languages, images, music, rhythms and textures that are unique in origin but alike in their impact on the heart. 

The Ukrainian Museum and the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US are partnering to host a seminal event celebrating the Museum’s new exhibition Village to Modern. 

The influence of Ukrainian folk art on the Ukrainian avant-garde in the early 20th century was transformative. With its vibrant colors, geometric patterns, and unique symbols, Ukrainian folk art played a significant role in shaping the development of new artistic movements and pushing the boundaries of artistic expression for innovative and groundbreaking works. Pioneering avant-garde artists such as Kazimir Malevich and Alexandra Exter were inspired by the authenticity of Ukrainian folk art, which had its creative roots in small villages across the country. 

Join us for a daylong symposium with visual presentations by distinguished art historians, an exhibition walkthrough with the Museum’s director, and a roundtable discussion culminating with an audience Q&A. Our distinguished group of guest speakers include Dr. Myroslava Mudrak, Oksana Semenik, and Dr. Alisa Lozhkina. The program will be held throughout the day in both locations, the Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US and The Ukrainian Museum, with a light lunch at mid-day. The full schedule is provided below. This event will be held both in person and on live stream.

Symposium Program

Location: Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US

63 4th Avenue 

9:30 am – Coffee Reception

10:05 am – 10:15 am – Welcome by Dr. Vitaly Chernetsky, President of Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US                             

10:15 am -12:30 pm – Visual Presentations by Guest Speakers (there will be breaks between presentations)

Location: The Ukrainian Museum

222 East 6th Street

1 – 2 pm – Light Lunch Reception

2 – 3 pm – Walkthrough of the Village to Modern Exhibition with Museum Director Peter Doroshenko 

Location: Shevchenko Scientific Society in the US

63 4th Avenue

3:30 – 5 pm – Roundtable and Q&A