Royston Ukrainians celebrate Kupala thanks to Rotary Club

Royston Rotary Club arranged a trip for Ukrainians living in Royston to celebrate the traditional holiday Kupala. 

On July 9, the Rotary Club of Royston arranged for a coach to take a group of Ukrainians living in Royston and the surrounding villages to visit the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Cheshunt, where a celebration for Kupala was held. 

The decision to fund this trip came after Rotary President, Peter Mitton, discovered while viewing a presentation by Anne Barnard from the Association of Ukrainians in GB that most Ukrainians living in the area would miss the festival.

He said: “We immediately decided to fund a coach to send many of them to Cheshunt, where a great time was had by all” 

Kupala is a traditional Slavic holiday. In Ukraine it is celebrated on the shortest night of the year between July 6 and July 7 in accordance with the Julian calendar.