Ukrainians celebrate 75 years of life in Leicester

Traditional songs and dances were performed

Leicester's Ukrainian community painted the town blue and yellow to mark 75 years of life in the city.

Balloons and bunting decked out Leicester Ukrainian Club for a special celebration on Saturday.

After a service from a Ukrainian Catholic bishop, children from the Ukrainian School of Leicester took to the stage to perform traditional songs and dances.

About 150 people attended the event at the Westcotes venue.

The club's deputy chair, Wol Wowczuk, told the BBC: "Most of the Ukrainians in Leicester and Leicestershire came over after the Second World War as refugees themselves.

"Most of them didn't want to go back to the Soviet Union - as it was then - for fear of their lives because they were being treated as traitors, which they clearly weren't.

"Many of them then settled in England and other Western European countries. Ukraine wasn't an independent country in those days so they really had nothing to go back for."

Wol Wowczuk, deputy chair of the Leicester Ukrainian Club, said many refugees did not want to return to the Soviet Union

Ukraine won its independence in 1991 and, while it allowed friends and families to reunite, an established Ukrainian community remains in Leicester.

This has been swelled by an influx of refugees, following the Russian invasion in 2022 and the ongoing conflict for the last two years.

Mr Wowczuk said: "We've come together as a community and it's really important we mark these anniversaries.

Celebrations were held at the Leicester Ukrainian Club

"We're very proud to be part of Leicester's cosmopolitan makeup. We invite people in from other communities and get invited to them as well, although it's sad in many ways that this war has raised our profile to such an extent.

"We're very proud and honoured to be part of Leicester. Leicester and Leicestershire people have supported us not just in the past few years, but in the last 75."