A well-known local Ukrainian dance group declined to participate in the Prince Albert Multicultural Council’s annual Tapestrama Cultural Festival this weekend after a Russian dance group was also invited to participate.
The Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers pulled out of the event on Wednesday after learning that they had been booked the same day as the Kalinka Folk Dance Group, which is based out of the Saskatoon Russian Folk Centre.
Barveenok organizers said the ongoing war in Ukraine was the reason.
After Barveenok withdrew from Tapestrama the Kalinka Group also withdrew. PAMC executive director Michelle Hassler said that the Multicultural Council respects both groups and was in contact with both after the posts on social media.
“It was very good to be able to talk to both parties and all I can say is the PAMC will work together with the two groups to have a deeper conversation in the future and have a better understanding, because it’s a very sensitive a lot of on both sides,” Hassler said.
Hassler said that there is trauma and pain for Ukrainian people with the war ongoing, and she respects the decision of both groups to pull out of the event.
Hassler added that the PAMC is trying to listen respectfully as they try to navigate this difficult situation.
As a multicultural group, she said, they have to take a balanced approach.
“The Tapestrama Cultural Festival—for many, many, many years since it started—has always been a cultural gathering,” Hassler said.
“It’s always been the main goal and focus of Tapestrama Cultural Festival to showcase the various culture, heritage and traditions of each culture that comprises our community and the province of Saskatchewan in general. That is the main goal and focus.”
Both Kalinka and Barveenok are long time performers for the festival, according to Hassler. She said both groups know “the heart and soul’ of Tapestrama, but there were bigger issued that needed to be navigated.
Barveenok President Kayleigh Skomorowski said the group dropped out after people online raised concerns about the group performing in the same program and is such proximity to Kalinka.
“We knew very little about this Kalinka Folk Dance Group, other than that Kalinka, is a very Russian word and very much associated with Russian culture,” she said.
“We felt we were best just to step away given the timeline, lack of information and how sensitive the issue is between the two groups.”
Skomoroski said they have been in contact with the PAMC, and would like to talk about policies when inviting several groups under the banner of multiculturalism.
“We’re willing to sit at the table with them (and talk) about how to move forward with events in the future and stuff like that,” she said.
Skomoroski added that the decision was not rash but, they would have had questions even if they were not on the same day. She also said that there are other questions because of the Russian name and type of dance.
“We have a lot of questions and concerns, so I don’t know if this is an easy solve, but I definitely want to have some conversations with the Multicultural Council about some possible policies going forward,” she said. “Hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement and understanding when it comes to future planning and future events.”
In a statement Kalinka has said they support Ukraine but that still leaves questions for Barveenok.
“it’s a really hard space to navigate even if they put out a public statement, because the people that are there to watch the performance might not have read the public statement,” Skomoroski said
“It has to be very, very apparent and even if they say they don’t support the war, what do you not support the war about in particular, because we have Russians that say they want the war to end, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they believe in a sovereign Ukraine, right? Like, there are so much nuance,” Skomoroski said.
Skomoroski said that Barveenok’s default position is to unequivocally stand with Ukraine and unless they have enough information they will separate themselves and not support spaces where Russian culture is celebrated.
“It’s a really tough space to be in,” she said.
“It’s a really difficult time and I think these conversations are important, but these conversations also need to happen in the right timeline of things occurring. Then maybe we would have been able to say early on, ‘you know what, if you are going to have this group perform. We’re not comfortable being a part of this.”
Oleg Kougiya of the Kalinka Folk Dance Group said that the situation started because of online agitators trying to bring the war in Russia to Canada and spark rage between Russians and Ukrainians.
“Those people, it looks like they don’t have enough war in their country. They’re trying to bring the war between people of Canada here also,” Kougiya said.
He said that many people assume if you are Russian, you automatically support President Vladimir Putin and the invasion. He said that’s not actually the case.
“I’ve been in Canada for 20 years. That’s not how we do things here, right? We judge people by what they do, what they say and how they act,” Kougiya said.
He added that the Kalinka group could not be called a Russian group because more than half of their members are Ukrainian and some are from Canada.
“I mean, we’re doing all the best we can right,” Kougiya said. “Our group cannot “Only my family are ethnic Russians, but we’ve been here for over 20 years. My question is what in my behavior and what in my political statement gives people the right to say even suggest that I’m supporting this bloody regime?”
Kougiya said that the group withdrew so the Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers wouldn’t miss the opportunity to perform for their hometown crowd.
He does not hold ill will towards either Tapestrama or Barveenok but more the agitators who created the situation.
“We’re not mad, we’re not angry at Ukrainians. They’re going through devastating times, right. Our group members are supporting Ukraine, as much as we can and basically we’re trying to stay united,” he said.
After the war started in 20222, Kougiya said they withdrew the Russian parts of their program. The only remaining Russian part is the name Kalinka. He added that Russian culture is not responsible for what the Russian Federation is doing now,” he said.
Kougiya said that he and his family participated in anti-war rallies in Saskatoon and held no ill will towards anyone involved in the situation.
However, he also said the group received many negative comments on social media because of the situation.
“I’m not saying we should put politics aside. No, it’s still there, but let’s not think that all the Russians are Putin supporters,” Kougiya said. “That’s my biggest thing, right. I honestly cannot see what else can I do in this situation.”
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
