Happy 2nd birthday VATAHA! Just a few months after russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, our founders Oksana Savchuk, Uliana Bun and Julia Zverkhovska began the life-changing adventure of founding their own non-profit to promote Ukrainian arts and culture throughout the Netherlands.
In the two years since, VATAHA has welcomed over 10,000 participants to 200 events that shone a bright, truthful light on Ukrainian heritage, traditions and talent. As 2024 comes to an end, we reflect on how we got here, and some of the adventures in between.
Ти де? magazine: Writing the first chapter
It all began with an idea for a magazine. Each newcomer from Ukraine had embarked on a unique journey in search of refuge in the Netherlands, and every individual story—whether harrowing, heartfelt, or unheard—deserved to be told.
An open call for a two-day workshop was made to all like-minded creatives eager to share their journeys and experiences of arriving in the Netherlands. Then, 12 participants gathered at the Belvedere Story House in Rotterdam, each ready to present their stories in a creative form—installations, text, paintings, collages, and more.
The two-day workshop fostered an environment of connection, creativity, and reflection. By the evening of the second day, a pop-up exhibition was held to allow participants to engage with each other’s stories. It was an intimate space where voices found resonance.
The exhibition’s material was later compiled into a printed bilingual Dutch-Ukrainian magazine: Where Are You? Stories of Ukrainians Who Left for the Netherlands Because of the War (Issue 1: The Road). This publication marked a significant moment, one that would become the foundation of VATAHA—a community that not only gave newly arrived Ukrainians a sense of resistance but also an opportunity to actively contribute to the cause of Ukraine. Some of the 12 participants became core members of VATAHA – and Daria Lysenko, Nicole Katenkari, and Anastasiia Prokofieva.
In October 2023, VATAHA marked the launch of its magazine with a panel discussion on the power of the publication’s storytelling narrative at the Central Library Theater in Rotterdam.
Vyshyvanka Day: Stronger with every stitch
Every May, Vyshyvanka Day brings people together to celebrate the beauty of tradition, identity, and community. This annual event, cherished by Ukrainians worldwide, has been held on the third Thursday of May since 2006, honoring the ancient art of embroidered clothing and its connection to cultural heritage. For VATAHA, Vyshyvanka Day has become a cornerstone—a day not only to celebrate Ukrainian traditions but also to build bridges with Dutch culture.
It’s a day filled with stories and creativity. Ukrainians wear their embroidered shirts, each one a thread in the fabric of their history, and share tales of how their families have preserved—or more likely lost due to russian oppression—these embroidered items and traditions over the years. Workshops offer a chance to learn and pass on skills, from intricate embroidery techniques and decorative cut-outs (vybiika) to creating beaded jewelry. These crafts tell the story of Ukraine’s regional diversity and the resilience of its people.
What makes our celebration truly special is the way it has grown to include the Dutch community. Year by year, the exchange of traditions has deepened. In 2023, guests from Scheveningen attended our event at the Beeld en Geluid Museum, proudly wearing their folk costumes, a touching symbol of connection across cultures.
Then, in 2024, at the Design Museum Dedel in the Hague and at SKVR in Rotterdam, Dutch craftswoman Mieke Klaver and her group Breiworkshop created a unique space for reflection. Together with Ukrainian participants, they embroidered personal symbols of home with red thread—a simple, yet profoundly meaningful act of shared humanity.
This collaboration has inspired Ukrainians to embrace needlework year-round, finding comfort and joy in creating something with their hands. The masterclasses born from Vyshyvanka Day have become a place to continue stitching stories, memories, and hope—not just for preserving tradition but for building lasting connections.
More than just a race: Run for Ukraine
VATAHA’s artivist spirit even found its way into the sports sector. For three consecutive years, VATAHA has organized Run for Ukraine, a memorial run to the fallen cities and heroes.
More than just a run, Run for Ukraine is a physical performance with the runners as the artists themselves. Whether the participants choose the 2km, 5km or 10km distance, each meter is a step taken for someone who no longer has the limbs or life to do so themselves. It’s a powerful, painful and healing event for Dutch, Ukrainian and internationals alike.
The event has grown since its first edition in 2022, with just 80 participants running in Rotterdam. The next year expanded through a partnership with HAAG Athletiek, which reoccurred this year too, bringing together 500 runners in total, and even more in the pipeline for next year.
Letterenfonds: Funding Ukrainian art
Art speaks volumes, but so does money. This year VATAHA was proud to secure not one but five grants for female artists in the Ukrainian community. Each different from the next, their grants covered the fields of visual art, literature, art therapy, fashion and education. The Letterenfonds Foundation grant was granted exclusively to artists who arrived in the Netherlands after February 24, 2022 as temporarily displaced persons.
- Anastasia Prokofieva: Fragments of Resilience
- Anna Kakhiani: Hug me with words, or maybe not
- Nicole Katenkari: Teen Art Club 3.0 Contradictive Normality
- Daria Lysenko: Poetry collection “I hear you are in The Netherlands”
- Yaroslava Khomenko: The Netherlands: The practice of social interaction
Words of thanks to our core team
Words of thanks to our core team
We are deeply grateful to everyone—individuals and organizations alike—who supported our ideas and events every step of the way. Your encouragement has made all the difference, and we know that together, we can continue to achieve even greater things, building a stronger, more connected community while making a meaningful impact. Thank you for believing in us and our vision!
Our founders’ vision, enthusiasm and drive are magnetic, attracting amazing multidisciplinary artists such as Maria Petrochko and Anastasia Prokofieva to our ranks, whose visual imagery physically represents the spirit of VATAHA.
And all our events would remain theoretical, lying to waste in Excel spreadsheets and Google Docs without the executive event coordinating powers of Anastasiia Bendyk, Nadiia Davydenko, Anastasia Khomenko, Andrii Kompaniiets, and Vitalii Pokusa. Through the workshops Olha Andruschenko, Tetiana Rumilets and Iryna Umanets hosts, Ukrainian arts and culture are kept alive and well in the Netherlands.
“Pics or it didn’t happen”: thanks to our photographers Valerya Manzovitova and Anna Bielchenko, we have heartfelt images that capture the raw emotions displayed at our events. Those photos are vital for our social media presence, spearheaded by Svitlana Kuznetsova, joined by Daria Ivanova and Anna Bezpala. And finally, our editorial team transforms our efforts into words, with the journalistic talents of Dasha Lohvynova, Daria Lysenko, Olena Poburko, and Anni Schleicher.
Conclusion
Every one of VATAHA’s allies selflessly dedicates their time, skills and hearts to fighting back against russia’s oppression of Ukrainian arts and culture – but throughout this journey, we have created something intangible and timeless: true friendships, lasting trust and a clear purpose for Ukraine’s future.
Celebrating VATAHA’s two-year anniversary is just another way for us to celebrate our love and devotion to Ukraine in all her depth, complexity and beauty.
Love what you see? You can keep our organization running by making a donation to VATAHA here!
With additional reporting by Daria Lysenko