On April 26th, Ukraine proudly participated in the Norfolk NATO Festival International Village, with the Ukrainian Community Center of Hampton Roads (UCC) honored to represent the nation. This event marked a significant milestone, as it was the first time a NATO Partner Country was represented by its local community. We want to thank the Virginia Arts Festival for facilitating our participation and organizing the longest continuously running Festival in the Hampton Roads region.
Throughout the day, the Ukrainian delegation was moved by the amount of support. Visitors from all 32 NATO member states stopped by the Ukraine booth to say hello, share words of encouragement, and learn more about Ukraine. "Slava Ukraini" or "Glory to Ukraine" was heard all around the Festival as American, Lithuanian, Finnish, Greek, Estonian, British, Albanian, and many other supporters of Ukraine greeted the Ukrainian delegation.
Last year, Ukraine participated for the first time in the Norfolk NATO Annual Parade of Nations, and the positive reception inspired hopes of making the Ukrainian participation at the Norfolk NATO Festival a cherished annual tradition. Strengthening cultural and diplomatic ties through events like this brings Ukraine closer to the broader NATO community. As Ukraine continues to stand firm in its commitment to democratic values and collective security, we look forward to the day when Ukraine proudly joins NATO as its next member.
Special thanks to Nazar Syvak for organizing the Ukrainian delegation's participation, and to Ivanka Svitliar and Sofia Syvak for their wonderful work in setting up the tent and presenting Ukraine to hundreds of Norfolk NATO Festival visitors. We appreciate everyone who visited the Ukrainian tent, and the UCC is looking forward to the next Festival.
