North Americas largest Ukrainian festival
Celebrating 22 years in the Bloor West Village September 14 - 16, 2018
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The Bloor West Village Toronto Ukrainian Festival welcomes you to come and enjoy everything the Ukrainian culture has to offer. Discover Ukrainian culture in Canada and share the Ukrainian spirit at North America’s largest Ukrainian Street Festival.
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2018 BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival Featured Region of ukrainian heritage:
Lemkivshchyna / lemkovyna
A Ukrainian ethnic group which until 1946 lived in the most western part of Ukraine on both sides of the Carpathian Mountains and along the Polish-Slovak border. During Operation Vistula (Polish: Akcja "Wisła") which was a codename for the 1947 forced resettlement of the Ukrainian minority including Boikos and Lemkos from the south-eastern provinces of post-war Poland, to the Recovered Territories in the west of the country, the Lemko region officially ceased to exist. The action was carried out by the Soviet-installed Polish communist authorities with the aim of removing material support and assistance to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
The Lemkos are a distinct ethnic group within the Ukrainian nation. Their dialects and spiritual and material culture preserved some unique archaic elements that have been lost by other Ukrainian ethnic groups. They also absorbed some Slovak and Polish influences, especially linguistic ones. More than any other Ukrainian ethnic group the Lemkos are attached to their homeland, traditions, and church and are impervious to external influence. They are more united than other groups, even when they are outside their native land. The Lemkos form several distinct subgroups. The western Lemkos (roughly from the Duklia Pass in the east) have more archaic characteristics than the eastern Lemkos, who have some features in common with other Ukrainian groups, such as the Boikos. Lemkos are known for their wood carving, which is highly developed in resort areas and around Sianik. Lemko folklore is particularly rich in songs. Most of them, especially the wedding songs and humorous songs, were composed by the Lemkos, but some are variants of widely known Ukrainian folk songs. Lemko melodies have a remarkable variety of forms, a rich ornamentation, and a wide rhythmic range.
Lemkos in North America. In the 1870s Lemkos from the Prešov region were the first Ukrainian immigrants in the United States. Up to the end of the 19th century the majority of Ukrainian immigrants in the country were Lemkos. They were the founders of the first Ukrainian organizations. Because of the large influx of Lemko immigrants up to the 1930s, some 100,000 to 150,000 Americans and Canadians today are of Lemko origin.
A few Famous Lemkos: Bohdan-Ihor Antonych - poet, Andy Warhol (Warhola) - artist, Nikifor Drowniak - artist, Rev. Mykhailo Verbytsky - composer of music to Ukraine's national anthem.
See the Lemko region Photo Booth and Exhibit during the 2018 BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival @ Bloor St W and Armadale Ave.
The Lemkos are a distinct ethnic group within the Ukrainian nation. Their dialects and spiritual and material culture preserved some unique archaic elements that have been lost by other Ukrainian ethnic groups. They also absorbed some Slovak and Polish influences, especially linguistic ones. More than any other Ukrainian ethnic group the Lemkos are attached to their homeland, traditions, and church and are impervious to external influence. They are more united than other groups, even when they are outside their native land. The Lemkos form several distinct subgroups. The western Lemkos (roughly from the Duklia Pass in the east) have more archaic characteristics than the eastern Lemkos, who have some features in common with other Ukrainian groups, such as the Boikos. Lemkos are known for their wood carving, which is highly developed in resort areas and around Sianik. Lemko folklore is particularly rich in songs. Most of them, especially the wedding songs and humorous songs, were composed by the Lemkos, but some are variants of widely known Ukrainian folk songs. Lemko melodies have a remarkable variety of forms, a rich ornamentation, and a wide rhythmic range.
Lemkos in North America. In the 1870s Lemkos from the Prešov region were the first Ukrainian immigrants in the United States. Up to the end of the 19th century the majority of Ukrainian immigrants in the country were Lemkos. They were the founders of the first Ukrainian organizations. Because of the large influx of Lemko immigrants up to the 1930s, some 100,000 to 150,000 Americans and Canadians today are of Lemko origin.
A few Famous Lemkos: Bohdan-Ihor Antonych - poet, Andy Warhol (Warhola) - artist, Nikifor Drowniak - artist, Rev. Mykhailo Verbytsky - composer of music to Ukraine's national anthem.
See the Lemko region Photo Booth and Exhibit during the 2018 BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival @ Bloor St W and Armadale Ave.
2018 BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival Parade Marshal
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Michael Bociurkiw is a Global Affairs Analyst, writer and speaker. He is a contributor to CNN.com and a regular on BBC World News, CNN International and Al Jazeera. A Ukrainian-Canadian, he has worked in several leadership roles in the community and has devoted many years of work in Ukraine, most recently as spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine. He's also worked in-country as a Canadian election observer, as a project manager for UNICEF and on secondment by Global Affairs Canada to the Minister of Health of Ukraine. For more than a decade, Michael has worked in the humanitarian aid industry for both UNICEF and WHO. He has worked on disasters ranging from the Pakistan earthquake of 2005 to Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008.
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2018 BWV Toronto Ukrainian festival
Headline Performer
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ROCK-H - Hailing from Uzhgorod, a Ukrainian city on the border with Hungary, ROCK-H is the 2018 BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival Headline Performer. ROCK-H in local dialect means "group", "gathering". ROCK-H performs songs in local dialect which is called Zakarpatsky talk. This gives their songs unique colorings and folk feel. The powerful accords of ROCK-H music which band members call "Pidkarpatsky rock" reflect the Zakarpattia region folklore style with it colorful buzz of polygonal melodies.
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2018 BWV Toronto Ukrainian Festival
Feature Performer
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GOT TO BE FREE - Rock Musical from Ukraine
In 2014, during the events of the Revolution of Dignity, seven enthusiasts from various professions (musicians, actors, bankers, lawyers) gathered around the recording of the music album "Got To Be Free". Later this musical story of Maidan turned into a rock-musical, which has been presented several times in a closed format for "friends" on various concert venues in Kiev. See this amazing performance on the Northland Power Stage at Jane St and Bloor St W. on Saturday, September 15, 2018 @ 9:30PM. |