14/12/2025
On Friday night 12 December, our long-prepared Christmas event titled took place. The wonderful Scottish church Greyfriars Kirk, deeply rooted in the history of Edinburgh and open-hearted toward Ukraine, welcomed its guests.
The most emotional part of the program was Oksana Sayapina’s performance “Life in One Suitcase,” in support of . Reflecting on the experience of the full-scale invasion start, forced displacement, and one-moment live changed. It may seem so different from our "normal" Christmas celebrations, yet it powerfully echoes the events surrounding the original Christmas more than two thousand years ago: forced migration, loss of home, flight under threat of death, and life in a foreign land of the Holy Family. And yet, it was precisely these events that returned humanity to hope, faith, love, and the expectation of a just peace. This same hope and faith live in the hearts of Ukrainians and all those who support us today.
The evening also included the exhibition “Icons on Ammo Boxes” by artists Olaf Clemensen and Sonia Atlantova, which has been touring Scotland since September 2024.
In the second part of the evening, we shared traditions of celebration. Many thanks to all the performers for creating a wonderful atmosphere and for uniting Ukrainian and Scottish artistry: Natalia Khomenko, Elzara Batalova, Dance Studio “Kvity Ukrainy,” and the Ukrainian kids club in Edinburgh.
Special thanks to John Morran for the incredible surprise at the end of the evening — a performance of the Ukrainian national anthem by Scottish musicians! ❣️
We are deeply grateful to the audience — largely Scottish — who came to the performance. We even had to bring in extra chairs to accommodate everyone. Thanks to AUGB Edinburgh for their active support! And to everyone who fed us!
And heartfelt thanks to Inessa Rezanova, who brought the program and all its elements together into a vibrant whole! ❤️
The aim of this event was sharing Ukrainian experience and artistry, building cooperation with the Scottish community, and raising funds to support Ukraine.
We will announce the results soon. 🇺🇦 🏴