Natalia Yuvchenko, a neurologist who lives in Bela Krajina, is an active volunteer.

She is a frequent guest at Hsd Črnomelj, Rdeči Križ and Hsd Metlika.

Natalia is happy to tell local residents about Ukrainian culture and traditions, shares recipes of Ukrainian cuisine and cooking skills. Borscht and cheesecakes are very popular with Slovenians. Here is Hsd Metlika’s feedback on meeting Natalia:

“Today at Hsd Metlika, Ukrainian volunteer Natalia Yuvchenko introduced us to Ukrainian culture, and at the end she prepared a traditional dish of syrniki, which can be eaten for breakfast, dinner or afternoon tea. Syrniki made our day sweeter!

Ukrainians are known for their rich cultural heritage, which includes music, dance, literature, clothing, and celebrations. They are a nation that has over 5,000 folk songs. (5,000!) These songs tell about life experiences, love stories, celebrate natural beauty and folk customs. They are passed down from generation to generation and are part of Ukrainian cultural identity. Songs are performed solo, in a choir or accompanied by folk instruments. The most typical Ukrainian instrument is the bandura. Ukrainians are a nation of songs, they have always been well represented at Eurovision with high ratings.

Ukrainians are beautiful dancers and have exceptional choreography. Lively and expressive folk dances are a key part of the Ukrainian tradition. One of the most famous Ukrainian dances is hopak, which is the pride of the nation and has the unofficial status of the eighth wonder of the world. We watched online and were amazed by the jumps, acrobatic elements, and speed of movements. An extraordinary dance of strong male dynamics.

Natalia also spoke about prominent Ukrainian writers who can be compared to our Prešeren and Tsankar.

The female part of today’s audience was most impressed, of course, by Ukrainian traditional embroidery and clothing. Vyshyvankas are beautiful works of art filled with motifs of flowers (especially poppies), branches, birds, animals, and geometric mandalas. A real feast for the eyes and a deep tribute to the creative female hands that pass on this rich heritage from generation to generation.”