Ukrainian kitchen hosts musical meal for newcomers

A musical group from Ukraine, including a military veteran, visited an Edmonton restaurant for a special performance. CTV News' Marek Tkach has the story.

A Ukrainian restaurant in North Edmonton hosted a musical meal with some special guests.

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Anastasia Kostiuk is visiting from Ukraine as a member of musical group Gerdan Theatre to perform at Don’ya Ukraine’s Kitchen.

They were also joined by the Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. The restaurant employs more than two dozen newcomers from Ukraine.

“We want to sing for them and we want to have a great time for them,” said Kostiuk on Wednesday.

“They have a very hard life to come here from Ukraine because of the war, have a new job, new life and that’s why we want to sing for them.”

She says some of the songs they sing are more than 1,000 years old and they want to keep the tradition alive.

“Ukrainians sing every time they’re sad, when they’re happy so this is a part of Ukrainian tradition to sing,” she said.

Lilia Chistova left Ukraine as soon as Russia invaded and came to Edmonton in 2023 with her three children.

“It was a really long line at the border and we waited nine hours with the children, there was snow and many people,” Chistova recalled.

She says she misses Ukraine and seeing performers from her home country makes her feel connected to back home.

The Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will also be performing at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium on Nov. 28

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Marek Tkach.