🇺🇦 Ukrainian culture brought hearts together at Collegno Folk Festival 2026
On 6 September 2026, a special programme dedicated to Ukrainian culture took place in Collegno, near Turin, as part of Collegno Folk Festival 2026.
This year’s festival became a special meeting place for Ukrainian and Italian culture — warm, heartfelt and filled with art, music, traditions, food and human connection.
During the Ukrainian programme, festival guests had the chance not only to discover Ukraine’s cultural heritage but also to experience its atmosphere first-hand through the work of Ukrainian artists and craftspeople.
On behalf of the Culture Department of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy (CNAUI), Ukraine and Ukrainian culture were represented by Lada Sushchenko, CNAUI’s authorised regional commissioner for Piedmont.
At the official opening, Ms Sushchenko addressed those present with words of welcome and stressed the importance of cultural initiatives that not only unite Ukrainians in Italy but also give Italian society the opportunity to get to know Ukraine more closely — its rich, profound and authentic culture.
She also presented the work of the CNAUI Culture Department and the art platform UN PONTE DI COLORI, which brings together Ukrainian artists in Italy. Lada Sushchenko emphasised that, through art, Ukrainian artists are able to carry Ukraine’s voice to European audiences, showing its beauty, its distinctive identity and its resilience.
As Ms Sushchenko put it
“Culture is the bridge that binds our peoples most firmly together. It is through culture that we can get to know one another better, build trust and open Ukraine to the world.”
Ukrainian art, traditions and hospitality
One of the centrepieces of the programme was the Ukrainian craft fair «З Україною в серці» / «Con l’Ucraina nel cuore» (“With Ukraine in Our Hearts”).
Festival visitors were able to see the work of Ukrainian artisans, traditional crafts and contemporary Ukrainian decorative and applied art.
Guests could also enjoy an authentic Ukrainian photo corner, a creative space with workshops for children and adults, the “Tree of Peace and Unity”, and the installation-exhibition “Broken Hearts — An Unbreakable Bond”, dedicated to supporting Ukrainian civilians held captive by Russia.
A highlight of the evening was the solidarity dinner «Аромати дому, рецепти серця: вечеря, яка єднає душі» / «Profumi di casa, ricette del cuore: una cena che unisce le anime» (“Flavours of Home, Recipes of the Heart: A Dinner That Unites Souls”), organised in partnership with Mix Markt Torino.
Ukrainian borscht, varenyky and other traditional dishes were more than just refreshments — they were a true culinary journey to Ukraine and a chance to share with our Italian friends the warmth of a Ukrainian home, our traditions and our hospitality.
🇺🇦 Ukraine and Italy — through culture
The official opening of the Ukrainian programme was addressed by:
- * Matteo Cavallone — Mayor of Collegno;
- * Jacopo Suppo — Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Turin;
- * Dario Arrigotti — Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Turin and the Piedmont region;
- * Pino Superbo — President of the association “Diversi ma Uguali”;
- * Lada Sushchenko — CNAUI regional representative for Piedmont;
- * Simone Attilio Bellezza — Associate Professor of Contemporary History at the Department of Humanities, University of Eastern Piedmont “Amedeo Avogadro”;
- * Svitlana Bubenchykova — co-founder of the Turin Ukrainian Women’s Club “KOLO”.
The significance of such cultural initiatives was also highlighted by Liudmylka Horbachyk, head of the Culture Department of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy, who stressed:
“Events like this are much more than a festival. They are an opportunity to build a living bridge between Ukraine and Italy, to tell the story of our history, traditions and culture, to showcase contemporary Ukrainian art and to introduce Italian society to talented people who today create and represent Ukraine far beyond its borders.”
The CNAUI Culture Department expresses its sincere gratitude to the organisers of Collegno Folk Festival, the Collegno municipal authorities, the partners and all participants for the invitation, the support and the opportunity to present Ukrainian culture, art and traditions.
Special thanks go to Ms Svitlana Bubenchykova, co-founder of the Turin Ukrainian Women’s Club “KOLO”, for her warm welcome, genuine hospitality and support, and for creating an exceptionally warm and friendly atmosphere throughout the Ukrainian programme.
Thanks to initiatives like this, Ukrainian culture continues to be seen and heard in Italy, and Ukrainian artists, craftspeople and community members have the opportunity to represent their country directly and to build new cultural ties.
The Ukrainian programme closed with the concert “Sinfonia dell’anima ucraina” featuring the Ensemble di Banduriste in Italia, Liubov Kardash, Elena Melnyk and Dasha Moga, which treated the evening’s guests to the special atmosphere of Ukrainian music.
The Culture Department of the National Congress of Ukrainian Associations in Italy brings together Ukrainian artists and craftspeople in Italy and works to make Ukrainian culture visible, heard and open to European society.
Every such encounter is one more bridge between Ukraine and Italy — between people, cultures and traditions.
Ukraine and Italy — together in culture, solidarity and mutual support. 🇺🇦🤝🇮🇹
Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦
