Protecting our Ukrainian Heritage: Discovering, Creating, Preserving. Presented by students of Ridna Shkola Cleveland

Students of Ridna Shkola Cleveland, a weekly Ukrainian heritage school, attend classes in language, history, culture, literature, and geography of Ukraine. Students in preschool through 11th grades have created artwork, conducted research, and engaged with speakers on topics related to their cultural heritage. This exhibit will include presentations on research conducted by middle and high school students focusing on symbols in pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs), embroidery, and ceramics; Ukrainian art stolen after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; and the role of the Hryhory Kytasty Cleveland School of Bandura in preserving and expanding this Ukrainian musical art form.

The  exhibit also includes displays related to Ukrainian immigrant history. Students will share their family immigration stories and challenges faced by new immigrants to the United States. The exhibit also features the Ukrainian Tremont walking tour and a chance for visitors to add to a Ukrainian Tremont history map. Tremont, the area of Cleveland in which Ukrainians first settled, has a rich history of immigrant life. A short history of Ridna Shkola Cleveland will also be displayed for its 70 year anniversary.