Ukraine’s Greeks Dance and Sing

At the Kiev City State Administration building, members of the Hellenic community in Ukraine gathered to celebrate 240 years since the resettlement of Greeks from Crimea to the Azov region.

Unknown to many, Greek communities have existed in Ukraine for hundreds of years. The country’s 90,000-strong Hellenic presence is concentrated predominately around Mariupol, a port city on the Azov Sea coastline. Their influence is obvious – in the churches, culture, language, and education. On Wednesday, community members gathered in Kyiv to enjoy traditional song and dance from their homeland.

The various songs and dances on Wednesday were performed by musical collectives and Ukrainian dance troupes. Some of them came all the way from Mariupol for the occasion.

Traditional Greek song and dance differ from traditional Ukrainian, as it is often more focused on the group versus couples or individuals as one might find in Ukraine’s national dance, Hopak.

It’s these sorts of events that keep Greek traditions alive, for a community that calls Ukraine home.