Ukraine culture and independence celebrated in Golden Gate Park
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- Ukrainian-Americans gathered at the Golden Gate Park Sunday afternoon to celebrate not just their rich culture but their independence day.
Ukraine marked its 31st independence day this past Wednesday but there were no celebrations in that country over concerns of missile attacks on large crowds.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Ukrainian-Americans and their allies gathered to celebrate their history.
Ukrainian flags, colors, dances and music filled the Golden Gate Park Bandshell.
Among the hundreds of people celebrating was Yuliia Lozko from Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.
"I'm here to learn new techniques and (then go) back to Ukraine just because we need doctors," Lozko said.
Lozko arrived in the U.S. this month to start her medical residency at Stanford University.
"I will be back to Ukraine to start treating people with all the new methods that are already available here but, unfortunately, not available in Ukraine right now," Lozko said.
She felt grateful and proud to celebrate her country's biggest holiday -- independence day -- thousands of miles from home.
"Ukraine really needs the support from the world and we are really grateful to everybody," Lozko said.
Most of the performers involved in the Sunday concert have families in Ukraine. That was the case for singer Anytchka.
She said it's important that supporters overseas help Ukrainians preserve their culture as they fight for their existence in their home country.
"Russia doesn't want Ukrainians to exist so we have to raise our voices. We have to talk about people's freedom. We have to bring to other people that it's not right," Anytchka said.
"We are celebrating for them here to express our solidarity with them," said Ukrainian-American Nataliya Kovalchuk.
While this is the 23rd year the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council has partnered with the Golden Gate Park Band to organize the free concert, this year's celebration takes on a new meaning for the performers.
"Since I cannot be (in Ukraine), I'm going to give it all my best. Look at (my arm) -- goosebumps. I will be pushing through. I have a torn ACL and a messed-up meniscus but I'm going to still push through for my warriors (fighting in Ukraine) because they don't have the option to sit down. They've got to keep fighting and so I'm going to do the same," said Stepan Kryshtafovych, a member of the dance group Zoloti Maky.
They said the fact that they can't celebrate independence day in their own country speaks to how fragile freedom can be.
"Peace, we would like to have peace," Anytchka said.
"This cannot go any other way but victory for Ukraine," said Maria Tscherepenko, president of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council.