What remains with a person when they are far from home?
Language. Memory. A song that a grandmother used to sing. An ornament carved by children’s hands. And the knowledge of who you are.
The third meeting of the “Roots and Wings” project has concluded in Denmark—a space where Ukrainian culture stops being just a memory and comes alive once more. A project created by Nataliia Omelchuk.
For three days, we talked about what matters today more than ever: Ukrainian identity, ethno-pedagogy, folk traditions, the Ukrainian avant-garde of the 1920s, and cultural codes that they tried to erase for decades but failed to destroy.
Together with ethnologist Yaroslava Muzychenko, we searched for answers not only in lectures, but also in games, songs, symbols, and creativity. We crafted vytynankas (traditional paper cuttings)—and together with the paper, it felt as though we were gently unfolding our own memories. We spoke about raising children through culture. About Ukrainianhood as a source of strength. About the roots without which it is impossible to grow wings.
Today, Ukrainians abroad are fighting for more than just safety. We are fighting for the right to remain ourselves.
That is exactly why meetings like this matter. They are not about nostalgia. They are about the future.
Our heartfelt gratitude to the organizers—Hjælp Ukrainske Børn, the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, and “Lastivka”—for a space where a sense of community is born.
And a special thank you to Nataliia Omelchuk—for a project that helps Ukrainians in Denmark hold onto what matters most.
Our roots.
And our wings.
Read also: When Logic Leads to the Stars: The Story of Anna Vlasyk
Author: Alla Kuchans
Photo: from the archieve of Alla Kuchans