Festival showcases talents of Ukrainian refugees

The festival was to celebrate compassion, show the talents of refugees and raise awareness

A festival has been held to celebrate the heritage of Ukraine during Refugee Week.

The Mriya Festival held in Sussex included music, crafts and traditional food and raised money for Ukrainians fighting on the front line.

It has been more than two years since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022,

Organiser Valeriya Dvornyk said the one-day event in Bexhill was to celebrate compassion, show the talents of refugees and raise awareness.

The Mriya Festival held in Sussex included music, traditional food and crafts

Ms Dvornyk said she had run a busy and successful hub for Ukrainian displaced people in the area for the past two and a half years.

"In times like this, more than ever, people need to be together," she said.

"They need to have a hand to hold to do things together and singing is therapeutic.

"So it's definitely helping their emotional wellbeing and building friendships.”

Ukrainian refugee Olena Zdielnikova, a musician and teacher living in Hastings who performed in the festival, said: "This is the way to prove that we are the same people.

"We are well-educated, we are raising kids, we have hobbies, we are talented. We want to build our future.

"We want to be a part of you, we want to share something with you and we are really grateful that you’re sharing your support with us.”

The local Ukrainian community has so far raised more than £15,000 to send to the war effort.

Funds raised on Saturday will go towards medical supplies.