Easter comes on May 1 for Orthodox Christians this year, and people in Ukraine will celebrate it over a long weekend. The Kyiv Post asked several Ukrainian politicians and celebrities about their holiday plans.
Klitschko celebration
For Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, Easter is a family holiday. The family members divided responsibilities in preparing for the holiday. “Traditionally in our big family, my mother bakes Easter bread, while my wife and children help her with that,” Klitschko says.
His three children, Yegor-Daniel, Elizabeth-Victoria and Maxim-Oleksandr, are responsible for making krashankas and pysankas — traditional Ukrainian painted Easter eggs.
“They are always happy to show their artistic flair, and every year they improve their skills,” Klitschko says. To entertain his children on Easter holidays, the mayor decorated his house with Easter bunnies. This year, the Klitschkos will celebrate Easter in Kyiv.
Traditions for drag diva
For Ukrainian drag queen Monroe, Easter is the time to take a long holiday. She doesn’t consider herself a religious person, and doesn’t attend Easter service in church.
“I was born in a Soviet family where religion was rejected,” Monroe says, adding that all the same, she is very fond of Easter food and traditions. “I adore the Easter holiday, but only in the context of cooking, baking and festivals. Those traditions that aim to unite people are very appealing to me.”
Family for Ruslana
Ukrainian pop singer and one of the biggest supporters of the EuroMaidan Revolution Ruslana Lyzhychko, known as Ruslana, loves to follow Ukrainian national Easter traditions. Every year before Easter, Ruslana finds time to paint eggs and bake Easter bread.
“We always follow the traditions of Easter,” Ruslana says. “We decorate pysankas, bake Easter bread by an old family recipe, and go to church to have the Easter bread blessed.”
Every year, Ruslana’s mother comes to the capital from Lviv for the holidays, and Ruslana sets a lavish Easter table for the entire family.
“During the Easter holidays we have time for everything – to work and to meet friends and relatives, of whom, thank God, we have a lot,” Ruslana added.
Fashionista to travel
Daria Shapovalova, the founder and creative director of Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days and the owner of sales and public relations agency More Dash, likes to travel with her nearest and dearest during Easter.
One of her favorite destinations is Lake Como in Italy. But this year, Shapovalova will visit a Ukrainian resort near Odesa with her family and friends.
“I want to explore Ukraine more, to promote it on my social media for foreigners to see, on my Instagram,” she says.
Although Shapovalova will not be at home during the Easter holidays, she said she would decorate her hotel room with Easter bunnies to amuse her three-year-old son David.
“As a mother, I’m very positive towards any new traditions that bring joy to kids,” she adds.
