Today, Ukrainian students actively serve as ambassadors of their country, representing its culture, traditions, and values on international platforms. This new generation, proud of its identity, strives to convey the true essence of Ukraine – a country with deep traditions and an indomitable spirit.
AUK students Yuliia Zalozna and Anastasiia Borysko, who were interning in New York as part of the AUK Global Internship Program, hosted a Ukrainian Happy Hour for Blackstone’s Private Wealth department. During the event, they provided insights into Ukrainian cuisine, culture, and traditions, highlighting the historical context, such as Russia's impact on Ukrainian food perceptions – particularly through the Holodomor and the erosion of Ukrainian recipes and identity during the Soviet period.
They also discussed the traditions of celebrating Christmas and Easter, the role of food in these celebrations, and presented their childhood photos from these festivities.
The presentation was attended by many employees who had the chance to taste traditional Ukrainian dishes: varenyky, holubtsi, deruny, and borscht.
Anastasiia Borysko shared her impressions, “It was incredibly nice to invite people and see that even more guests came than we expected. Everyone listened attentively, actively asked questions, and were genuinely interested. Some even invited their colleagues—this was unexpectedly pleasant for us.”
Yuliia Zalozna added, “I was very happy that we could share a piece of Ukrainian culture and cuisine. All of our colleagues were delighted and thanked us for the interesting experience and delicious food.”
After the event, the AUK students sent a list of Ukrainian restaurants in New York to all the attendees to continue spreading love for Ukrainian culture and traditional dishes.
We are confident that this gastronomic excursion left no one indifferent, and we thank our students for their contribution to promoting Ukrainian culture on a global level!