Ukrainians who've fled the Russian invasion will be offered a little slice of home as they're invited to a traditional Easter celebration in Gateshead.
Although the UK has already marked Easter, Eastern Orthodox Christians, who make up the majority of the religious population of Ukraine, follow the Julian Calendar, which this year will see Easter Sunday fall on April 24. The day before, on Saturday April 23, Ukrainians living in the North East are set to gather at Hope House, in Gatehead, to mark the religious festival.
For Gateshead mum Lesya Bourne, who is originally from Ukraine, the crisis in her homeland has been a source of huge anxiety. But, determined to 'keep going and never give up', she's thrown herself into offering support to fellow Ukrainians.
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Lesya, 51, said: "Ukrainians here the in North East basically just knew each other from a Facebook group, but we've become a lot closer after this war started and so many new people have joined our group through this crisis. We've spoken to many sponsors from the UK to share information and so that when people come here they know there will be people who speak their own language, so they will feel more comfortable than they might with strangers in an absolutely new country who don't speak the same language.
"With everything they've been through, people might just need someone to talk to about what they've seen, to get it off their chest. Maybe we can't help much but what we can do is listen."
Members of the group have been gathering regularly in Newcastle City Centre in a public display of solidarity with Ukraine, but this weekend's festivities will be their first chance to gather socially and meet some of the new arrivals who've come to the North East through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Lesya said she had wanted to organise an Easter celebration as the Christian festival has huge cultural significance for many in Ukraine. Traditionally, families colour in intricately decorated eggs, known as pysanka, and eat decorated paska bread. Many also bring beautiful baskets of food to churches to be blessed before they break their Easter fast.
She said: "Easter and Christmas are the biggest family and religious celebrations for people in Ukraine, so we decided it was a good time to get as many people as possible to come together. I know that I always miss the Easter celebration, because it was how I was brought up, we always did it in my family.
"It's heartbreaking and very nostalgic when you can't celebrate in that way. A few years ago, before Covid, I went to Edinburgh for the Easter celebrations there because there is a big Ukrainian diaspora and it was amazing, I felt like I had visited my country, like I had been to see my mum. I hope that this event will help lots of people to come together like that."
- The Ukrainian Easter Sunday event will be held on Saturday, April 23 at 1pm at Hope House (St George’s Church Hall), Gateshead.
