Prague festival fundraiser to celebrate Ukrainian food and culture

Since the start of the Russian invasion, the citizens of the Czech Republic have shown great solidarity with Ukraine by organizing humanitarian and military aid as well as opening their homes to incoming refugees.

More than two months after the war began, around 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to Czechia. During that time, numerous local fundraising projects have sprung up to aid the war effort from art exhibits and concerts to culinary projects.

The Prague Market (Pražské tržnice) will now hold a Ukrainian culture and gastronomy festival, with all proceeds going to help war-torn Ukraine, in the first week of May.

The festival's program will include concerts by Ukrainian musicians and groups, performances by local artists, as well as food stands presenting the lesser-known dishes and staples of Ukrainian cuisine.

"Let's help our neighbors forget about worries for a while, get to know them, and bring them joy," write organizers on the Facebook page for the event.

Prague Market notes that while the Ukrainian national minority has been the largest in the country for a while, not much is known about their culture, food, singing, and dancing. "We want to change that," they say.

This is not the first initiative held on the premises of the Prague Market to help refugees integrate into the society and acquaint residents of the Czech capital with Ukrainian culture. 

Since the beginning of April, visitors to the market have been able to enjoy delicious Ukrainian cuisine served by refugee women from a newly launched foodtruck. There is also an option to buy a portion of food for those in need, which will be converted into vouchers to be distributed among Ukrainian refugees.

The Šatník foundation which operates a public wardrobe on the market's premises has been distributing material assistance, clothing, toys, household equipment, toiletries, and other commodities to numerous refugees daily since the outbreak of the war.

Set up in the main square of Pražská tržnice market in Prague 7, the one-day festival will be held on Thursday, May 5, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and is open to all visitors who want to celebrate rich Ukrainian culture and welcome new Praguers into the community.