Brian Cherwick is an absolute legend — the musician, one of the talented members of The Kubasonics, is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to Ukrainian music and traditions. In this episode, he shares how he got to where he is today, what it was like learning from musical masters in Ukraine, the inspiration behind what he does, and interesting tidbits about traditional Ukrainian instruments.

What Else You’ll Hear

- Stories from his time living in Ukraine

- How he keeps learning, even after all these years

- Drymba tips and tricks

- A very special mini performance

Resources

- Follow The Kubasonis on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Music

- Thank you to Brian for playing us a couple tunes!

You’re in for a real treat with two out of three Picklyk siblings on this episode of Vsi! Darian Picklyk shares his story on how he made his way from the Ukrainian dance studio to the world stage of volleyball — the former University of Winnipeg player now plays for the Canadian national men’s volleyball team. He offer lots of tips for dancers on how to balance multiple activities while showing up as your best self.

What Else You’ll Hear

- Why athletes make amazing dancers, and vice versa

- The benefits of playing multiple sports

- Darian’s top wellness tips

- How to think like an athlete

- Some nicknames to call Darian if you’re lucky enough to meet (or know) him

Resources

- Follow Darian’s life on Instagram

- Stay up to date with Darian’s volleyball journey through Volleyball Canada (Facebook, Instagram)

- See when Darian hits the stage next with Selo Ukrainian Dancers (Facebook, Instagram)

Music

- Thank you to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song

Gerdan Theatre, a group from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, toured Canada in February and March of 2024. They performed at more than 18 shows (!!!) during their time in Canada, and we had the chance to chat with two of their members, Yulia and Anton, when they were in Winnipeg to get a behind-the-scenes look at the theatre group.

What Else You’ll Hear

- The meaning behind Gerdan Theatre’s name

- The structure of Gerdan and its school

- Where Gerdan learned the songs and traditions it performs and shares

- What it means to Yulia and Anton to be a part of this tour and to perform with Gerdan

Resources

- Follow Gerdan Theatre on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Music

- Thank you to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song

- You’ll also hear a snippet from Gerdan Theatre’s show in Winnipeg!

Zrada isn’t your typical Ukrainian band. While they merge modern music with Ukrainian folk music, the sound is all their own. The Winnipeg-based band describes their music the best: “Ancestral sounds explode within an amplified soundscape full of joy, anger, melancholy, and madness.”

We talked with Andriy Michalchyshyn from Zrada. He plays trumpet and guitar and sings vocals for the band, plus writes a lot of their music. He joined us to talk about Zrada’s latest release, The Old Ways.

What Else You’ll Hear

- Zrada’s origin story, what inspired the band’s all-their-own sound, and how the band has evolved

- The inspiration behind songs and how the band writes in the style of traditional folk songs yet puts it to modern music

- How you can make Ukrainian folklore your own

- What keeps the band motivated to celebrate Ukrainian culture

- A sneak peek at one of their newest songs

Resources

- Listen to The Old Ways: Spotify, Bandcamp

- Stay up to date with Zrada: Instagram, Facebook, Website

- Buy tickets to Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg on February 23 to see Zrada perform at the event’s first-ever Ukrainian night!

- Check out more work by Mariya Khymynets, the artist who did the cover art for The Old Ways

Music

- A big thanks to Zrada for letting us use “Wedding,” off of The Old Ways, as Vsi’s intro song this episode!

The National Ballet of Ukraine brought their show Nadiya (Hope) to Canada to kick off 2024. In addition to supporting the arts scene in Ukraine and the esteemed dancers, the tour is raising money for aid in Ukraine, thanks to a partnership between Humanite Peace Collective and the Olena Zelenska Foundation. In this episode, we talk with David Meffe, head of development of Humanite, about what this tour means to the dancers and to Ukraine.

What Else You’ll Hear

- How the full-scale invasion of Ukraine affected the National Ballet of Ukraine

- Where money raised from Nadiya will go

- Insight into the National Ballet of Ukraine’s through Canada

Resources

- Learn more about the National Ballet of Ukraine (website, Instagram, Facebook)

- Learn more about Humanite Peace Collective (website, Instagram)

- Follow Vsi on Instagram and Facebook

Music

- Thank you to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song

Vsi co-host Hannah got married in September and learned a lot about various Ukrainian wedding traditions, incorporating many of them into her wedding day, and she wants to share them with you! Here’s your guide to the Ukrainian culture-inspired wedding of your dreams.

What Else You’ll Hear

- Ukrainian wedding customs and how Hannah personalized them to her celebration

- How to make outdated customs modern and fit your big day

- How Hannah and her husband, Yulian, unknowingly practised Ukrainian wedding traditions years before they got married

Resources

- Follow Hannah on Instagram and ask her for more wedding insight

- Follow Vsi on Instagram and Facebook

Music

- Thank you to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song

Two top-notch Ukrainian dance ensembles in Canada are putting on a joint show this September. Saskatoon’s Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble (PFE) and Edmonton’s Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble’s Душа Народу (Dusha Narodu) — The Spirit of a Nation. The show highlights the foundation of Kyiv to how Ukrainian culture took root in Canada to what we understand Ukrainian traditions to be today.

We talked with dancers Odessa Bahri from Volya and Natalya Shevchuk from PFE to learn more about the show.

What Else You’ll Hear

- What dances will be debuted in the show

- The importance of putting on a production like this

- How dance groups can form connections to collaborate

- Why Natalya and Odessa have to stay away from fires when they wear their matching jackets

Resources

- Purchase tickets for the Edmonton show (September 9) or Saskatoon show (September 16)

- Follow PFE on Instagram and Facebook

- Follow Volya on Instagram and Facebook

- Follow Vsi on Instagram and Facebook

Music

- Thank you to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song

russia’s full-scale invasion has been going on for one year. We love Ukraine, we are proud of her and her people, and it hurts our hearts to see russia’s actions. We asked a few Ukrainians and those in the Ukrainian diaspora to write love letters to Ukraine to show our support and spread our collective love for Ukraine.

What Else You’ll Hear

- Why writing a love letter together helped us process our emotions

- Letters from special guests Eva van Rensburg, Carson McLean, and Liudmyla Tereshchenko

- An official call-out for you all to write your own love letters

Resources

- Follow Vsi on Instagram and Facebook

- Watch our love letter video

Music

- Thank you to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song

- And thanks to Bedzvin for letting us use “Broken Bow” to play under the love letters. Follow him on Instagram to learn about and support his efforts that provide aid to Ukraine.

While superstitions and folk beliefs are ancient customs, people still practise them today. It could be because they truly believe bad luck will come if they don’t follow them, or it might just be that it’s something passed down to them so it’s become second nature. When we were in Ukraine, superstitions became ingrained in us. And we became some pretty lucky folks.

We want to share this luck with you. In this episode, Hannah and Kaitlin will highlight some standout Ukrainian superstitions and tell stories to back them up.

What Else You’ll Hear

- Superstitions around the home, for your love life, for dancers, to practise when entertaining, and to follow while enjoying refreshments

- Some of the most memorable birthday celebrations Hannah and Kaitlin attended in Ukraine

- A superstition Hannah, Kaitlin, and their friends made up around their matching tattoos

- A cautionary tale of when Hannah believed a superstition that wasn’t actually a superstition

- A shoutout to the Vegreville Pysanka Festival, one of our favourite Ukrainian festivals!

Resources

- Follow Vsi on Instagram and Facebook

Music

- A big thanks to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song

Kaitlin released an updated edition of her book Planted: Stories From Manitoba’s Natural World, with proceeds supporting humanitarian aid in Ukraine. In this episode, Hannah talks with Kaitlin about the inspiration behind the book, her connection to nature, and how Kaitlin’s Ukrainian heritage has shaped her writing and life.

What Else You’ll Hear

- An overview of what you’ll read in Planted

- What’s been updated since Kaitlin released the first edition five years ago

- Hannah’s takeaways from the book

- Kaitlin’s favourite nature memory from Ukraine

- What organizations Planted proceeds are supporting

Resources

- Purchase Planted via e-transfer or by credit card

- Organizations Planted is supporting (with more to come!): Ukrainian Patriot, Cobblestone Freeway Foundation, Lifeline Ukraine, Come Back Alive

- Follow Vsi on Instagram and Facebook

Music

- A big thanks to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song