“The Heart of Ukraine in Coimbra” returns to the Municipal Market next Sunday

The Market Square, in the D. Pedro V Municipal Market, will host the second edition of “The Heart of Ukraine in Coimbra” next Sunday, August 24, an event celebrating Ukrainian Independence Day with free admission and continuous programming between 11:00 and 22:00. Highlights include a charity concert by the band UHF at 18:30. Also as part of the celebrations, the fountain in Praça 25 de Abril will be lit up in blue and yellow on August 24 and 25, as a symbolic gesture of friendship and cooperation with the Ukrainian community.

The initiative, organized by the Ukrainian community in Coimbra, through the VeraCausa Association, with the support of Coimbra City Council (CM), the concessionaire of the restaurant spaces at the D. Pedro V Municipal Market, was presented today, August 19, at a press conference in the Market Square. The presentation was attended by Olga Filipova, who represents the Ukrainian community in Coimbra, and the mayor of Coimbra, José Manuel Silva.

The celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day proposes a meeting of cultures for peace, promoting sharing, integration and solidarity and showcasing Ukrainian traditions, flavors and artistic expressions.

Starting at 11am, the program includes a craft fair, a gastronomic zone with cooking workshops and a display of themed cocktails – including the “Slava Ukraini” shot – as well as a live cooking demonstration with Ukrainian chef Oleksandr Ogorodnik, from Kyiv. The public will be able to taste typical dishes such as borshch, holubtsi and varenyky, as well as desserts, and experience immersive virtual reality experiences about Chornobyl, Ukrainian museums and “War Up Close”.

There will also be a presentation dedicated to the instrumentalization of culture by Russia in the context of war, a keg service of Ukrainian Pravda beer and drones flying over the market with live transmission to the big screen, as well as a 

Throughout the day there will also be a sale of handicrafts – vyshyvankas,motankas and embroidery – and at 6.30pm there will be a solidarity concert by the band UHF, underlining the dimension of freedom and resistance associated with the date.

In addition to highlighting Ukrainian culture, the event is part of a solidarity fund to support aid initiatives in Ukraine and the work of the VeraCausa Association.

“The Heart of Ukraine in Coimbra” returns to the Municipal Market next Sunday – coimbra.pt