‘Stožarõ’ Maardu Ukrainian Sunday School
This school was founded in 2001.
Children from Ukrainian and mixed-background families can learn Ukrainian language, literature and history in a fun format that is easy for them to understand, and they can also get to know the traditions and customs of the country and sing Ukrainian songs. The curriculum is based on one taught at Shevchenko University in Kyiv.
Cultural events dedicated to special days related to Ukrainian history and culture are organised at the school: Sobornost Day, Independence Day and Mothers Day. Religious festivals are also celebrated: St Nicholas’ Day, Christmas and Easter. An evening dedicated to Ukrainian poet and thinker Taras Shevchenko is held every year. The school plays an active part in events organised by the Ukrainian community.
Workshops are run for the students in which they can learn how to make traditional dolls and wooden toys and how to decorate Easter eggs using wax and dyes and with traditional symbols.
The ‘Vertep’ children’s theatre also operates as part of the school.
Language practice is available to the students at international youth camps in Ivano-Frankivski and Lviv.
The school was founded for children with Ukrainian roots who wish to study Ukrainian language and literature and learn about the history of the Ukrainian people. Anyone wishing to take part should contact the school’s director.
The students participate in the International Festival of Ukrainian Folk Art, which is held every August as part of the ‘Artek’ international camp in Ukraine. Students have also taken part in an international creative forum for foreign-Ukrainian children in Kyiv and contributed to an international project entitled ‘The World through the Eyes of Children’.
