On a rainy Sunday of April 11th, Razom was honored to host Ukrainian chef Ievgen Klopotenko and Veselka’s chef Dima Martseniuk at a very special Razom Meet & Greet.
You may know Ievgen Klopotenko, who is also a Master Chef Ukraine winner and a successful restaurant owner in Kyiv, because of his ongoing effort to have borshch recognized as part of Ukraine’s cultural heritage by UNESCO. Ievgen actively works to revive centuries-old Ukrainian recipes, modernize them and show Ukraine’s rich heritage through food. He favors local ingredients in a true farm-to-table approach.
Ievgen spoke about Ukrainian self-identity, the role of food in Ukrainian history, and broke some myths and stereotypes about Ukrainian cuisine – it is not only about boiled stuffed dumplings (varenyky), cabbage rolls (holubtsi) and beet soup (borshch). He absolutely captivated the audience with his high energy, passion, and knowledge. Everyone was mesmerized!
It has been a while since we were able to meet in-person like this, so thank you to everyone who RSVPed, masked up, and showed up. We hope you enjoyed meeting Ievgen and Dima and we hope to host many more events like this in the future.
We’re also grateful to Andrew Stasiw for allowing us to host this event at Saint George Academy, a center of Ukrainian life in New York.
And although the rain forced us to spontaneously move the scheduled rooftop event indoors, we especially thank Maryna Prykhodko, Dora Chomiak, and all of the amazing volunteers who helped make this event run as smooth as possible, while adhering to all safety guidelines! We get things done when we work RAZOM.
Our special Thank You to Volodymyr Shahay and Olesia Pryshlyak for capturing all the unforgettable emotions in such wonderful photos.
Learn more about and support Razom Culture that celebrates and promotes awareness of Ukraine’s vibrant art and culture through a variety of collaborations and events.
