Join fellow Harvard students for Ukrainian food and conversation.
Organized by Diana Nichvoloda, Harvard College '27 and Nataliya Shpylova-Saeed, Preceptor of Ukrainian Language, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures.
Undergraduate and graduate students from across campus are all welcome, whether you study Ukraine, have Ukrainian heritage, or know nothing about Ukraine but want to learn more!
This time, you are also warmly invited to enjoy the talk and performance of Anastasiya Voytyuk, also known as Banduragirl, a singer and virtuoso of bandura, a traditional Ukrainian instrument.
BanduraGirl is a talented bandura player, singer, and performer from Lviv, Ukraine. Leading the folk fusion band Troye Zillia, she skillfully blends Ukrainian folk songs with global influences. Anastasiya’s deep exploration of Ukrainian folklore provides a sense of strong roots and understanding of the role of the songs in everyday life, serving as milestones and mediators. The impact of war dramatically altered her life, leading her from working in a refugee shelter to organizing charitable concerts abroad. Despite band members’ separation, she collaborated with Polish musicians, primarily performing in Poland and Germany, expressing hope for future return of their music to Ukraine. In 2023-2024, Anastasiya was a delegate from Ukraine at the Celtic Connections in the UK, English Folk Expo, and WOMEX, participated twice in the Global Musician Workshop at the New England Conservatory in Boston, and did charitable tours in the UK, South Africa, and the United States.
This meetup is co-organized by the Ukrainian Language Program in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures, the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, and the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University.
