“In my circles, a lot of [Ukrainian] cultural workers felt this pressure and responsibility to represent Ukraine and switch their practice to this horrible reality [of russian aggression]. This is where they use their professional skills to reclaim the image of Ukraine, to rewrite how the Western world sees us in opposition to how they have seen us before.”
VATAHA’s co-founder and president Oksana Savchuk was invited to share her first-hand experience keeping Ukrainian identity and heritage alive through with the Dutch Culture Podcast.
In Episode 4 of Dutch Culture’s podcast series called Back Fire: Stories of Cultural Counterforce, Oksana talked about founding VATAHA as a coping mechanism for survivor’s guilt, her overnight transition from architect to cultural leader, and VATAHA’s long-term strategy behind promoting Ukrainian arts.
In this 30-minute episode, she also elaborates on some of VATAHA’s flagship events: Vyshyvanka Day, Run for Ukraine, and aHOUSEforHOME.
“Culture is all about creating empathy and empowering you to make your own choices and be your own person. This is the most efficient tool to stay sane in an insane world and to build your own identity from your inner self,” says Oksana on the podcast.