Krynytsya (The Well), your wellspring for Ukraine and Ukrainians

Ukrainian American artist Olenka Shevelenko has been doing Petrykivka painting in New Jersey for the last four years. Petrykivka painting began in the eastern Ukrainian village of Petrykivka in the 18th century. This unique technique employs floral and other natural motifs painted typically on a white background. Petrykivka painting began as a way to decorate Ukrainian houses for religious holidays, but is now also used for decorative purposes. Today Ms. Shevelenko regularly exhibits her art in libraries and museums and also offers workshops. In this interview she discusses how and why she started doing Petrykivka painting and mentions some of the masters of this art. https://petrykivka.org/en/ https://www.instagram.com/shevelenko.art/ Upcoming workshops: Nov 29th at 2 PM - Christmas Ornament Workshop - The Ukrainian Orthodox Holy Ascension Cathedral (635 Broad St, Clifton, NJ 07013). Mar 5th - Wooden Easter Egg Workshop - Ukrainian History and Education Center of NJ (135 Davidson Ave, Somerset, NJ 08873) (Time is still to be determined). Registration contact info: Instagram: shevelenko.art

Phone: 973-868-9646; Email: [email protected]

Anastasia Gudko is a Ukrainian American who was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and came to the U.S. in 2013. She is a cultural producer and researcher who founded the Ukrainian Arts Club in 2022 and the Borshch of Art in 2024 to bring attention to the Ukrainian origins among some of the most prominent American artists and highlight the impact of Ukrainians on American art history. Ms. Gudko believes that every Ukrainian abroad is a cultural ambassador, and by engaging with the arts everyone contributes to Ukrainian cultural diplomacy efforts. In this interview she spotlights the cultural activities of Borshch of Art, its Discover Database of artists and the Ukrainian American Arts Research Fellowship program. https://borshchofart.org/

Mark Temnycky is a Ukrainian American accredited freelance journalist, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center and a senior geopolitics contributor at Forbes. Recently he has observed a shift toward Ukraine in the attitudes of U.S. conservatives. For example, he notes that Laura Loomer, a prominent supporter of U.S. President Trump, made a surprise visit to Kyiv in July 2026 and met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr. Temnycky also comments on the views of U.S. President Trump regarding Ukraine. He suggests that it remains uncertain whether this positive support for Ukraine will be permanent for U.S conservatives and the U.S president.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marktemnycky/2026/08/04/us-conservative-support-for-ukraine-is-beginning-to-change/

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/mark-temnycky/

https://www.kyivpost.com/authors/57

Damian Kolodiy is a New York area Ukrainian American filmmaker, writer, freelance video cameraman, editor and podcaster. In 2007 he released his own documentary about the election of president Viktor Yushchenko during the Orange Revolution. In 2015 he followed up with his documentary film about the 2013–2014 Maidan uprising in Ukraine, also known as Euromaidan or the Revolution of Dignity. From 2010 to 2015 Mr. Kolodiy served as the program director for Kinofest NYC, a film festival dedicated to showcasing contemporary Ukrainian cinema. He also produces a monthly English language podcast called "Talking Ukraine". In this interview, Damian reviews the history of his family and his experiences growing up in the New York area Ukrainian Diaspora.

https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0R36XYH0G41ZTHMHYSLFH9FLHS?jic=16%7CCgNhbGwSA2FsbA%3D%3D&ref_=atv_dp_amz_c_TS8274d9_1_6

https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Death-Damian-Kolodiy/dp/B0779H3PKP

https://talkingukraine.podbean.com/

David Kirichenko is a Ukraine front-line war correspondent. He is also an expert in autonomous systems, cyber and irregular warfare and military strategy. He points out that Ukraine is having a great deal of success with its recent long-range attacks on Russia and its oil infrastructure. Ukraine's Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also focused on isolating Crimea and cutting it off from Russia. The administration of U.S. Pres. Donald Trump appears to be changing it views of Ukraine and the country's ability to defend itself against the Russian invasion. https://henryjacksonsociety.org/staff/david-kirichenko/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidkirichenko/2026/07/07/how-russia-learned-to-adapt-to-drone-warfare/

Alexander Motyl is an eminent professor of political science at Rutgers University - Newark and a well-know expert on contemporary politics in Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Russia. He is also a Ukrainian American historian, poet, writer, translator, and painter. In this interview, Professor Motyl looks at the long history of Ukraine's efforts to become a member of the European Union and their current and long-term prospects. He also reflects on the benefits that Ukraine would bring to the EU as a full member. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_J._Motyl https://ukrainian-studies.ca/2025/08/05/interview-with-alexander-motyl-there-is-no-choice-for-ukraine-but-to-resist/

Andrew D'Anieri is Associate Director of the Atlantic Council's Euroasia Center. He contributes to the Center's work on Ukraine's reconstruction, business and governance. NATO's recent summit in Ankara, Turkey, had significant developments for Ukraine in its relationship with the North American and European defense alliance and the EU. At the summit, U.S. President Trump said he would grant Ukraine a license to produce its own Patriot missiles. Mr. D'Anieri comments on these developments and offers his insights into Ukraine's future relationship with NATO. https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/andrew-danieri/ https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/fastthinking/was-the-nato-summit-a-success/

Olia Hercules is a cook, teacher, activist and storyteller. Born in the south of Ukraine, Olia has called home many different places, including Cyprus, Italy and the UK. She is an author of four cookbooks, including the award-winning Mamushka and Andre Simone short-listed Summer Kitchens. Apart from researching and writing about her native and adopted foodways, Olia teaches cookery, including ancestral fermentation techniques, from her home in London and online. Olia's latest book is a family memoir called "Strong Roots", which has been nominated for a James Beard award.

https://oliahercules.com/ https://oliahercules.com/books/strong-roots-usa

Andrew Pryma is a Ukrainian American investment banker, real estate developer, and media entrepreneur. Although born in Ukraine, he spent 10 years early in his career in the U.S. where he earned an MBA at Case Western Reserve University. He later joined Goldman Sachs in New York City as an investment banker. In 2018, Mr. Pryma returned to Ukraine where he founded Ukraine Business News (UBN). Today, UBN and UBN network play a prominent role in Ukraine's financial, investment and business media landscape. In this interview, Andrew Pryma talks about his career, his media business and some of his current investment projects. https://ubn.news/about-us/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoJ6_GraLkg

Maksym Isakov and his family emigrated to the U.S. from Vinnitsya, Ukraine, in 2022 shortly after the country was invaded by Russia. He emigrated with his family to Maine, where he had previously spent some time as a student and decided to start a local coffee roasting business Kavka Coffee. John Ostrand, the owner of Green Tree Coffee & Tea in nearby Lincolnville acted as a mentor and helped him launch the business. Today, Kavka is a very successful company with clients all over the U.S. Mr. Ksakov talks about the differences between coffee culture in Ukraine and the U.S. He also details how some of the profits from his business are sent to Ukraine for humanitarian purposes during the war. https://kavkacoffee.co/blogs/news/ukrainian-refugee-starts-coffee-business-in-camden https://dailycoffeenews.com/2023/04/17/refugee-roasted-kavka-coffee-sends-support-from-maine-to-ukraine/