Last Saturday, our Culbaba Theatre family brought to life “A Ukrainian Wedding Traditions” — a heartfelt journey through the beauty, humour, and deep symbolism of Ukrainian marriage traditions.
We were honoured to welcome Cllr Paul Wilson - the Mayor of Bexhill, members of Bexhill-on-Sea Town Council, East Sussex County Council, and many wonderful guests who joined us for an evening filled with song, laughter, and shared warmth.
Before the show, visitors explored a mini-exhibition of traditional wedding wreaths and archival photos from our soloists’ family collections — a glimpse into how these customs have lived on through generations.
On stage, our artists sang, acted, and shared the meanings behind every wedding ritual — from the blessing bread and embroidered towels to the touching moment when the bride’s head was covered with a scarf, marking her new journey.
After the performance, guests were treated to traditional korovai and shyshky, lovingly baked by Valentina and Viktoriia Karpenko — symbols of unity, luck, and sweetness in married life.
We are proud of our talented soloists -
Nataliia Demianenko, Viktoriia Karpenko, Valentina Karpenko, Iryna Budnyk, Olena Biela, Olena Rudenko, Valeriya Dvornyk, alongside the next generation — Milana Biela and Yaroslav Budnyk, under the musical and stage direction of Olena Zdielnikova.
Special thanks to Chris Becker for joining our cast this time — the beginning of a beautiful Ukrainian–British artistic collaboration.
We’re deeply grateful for the support of The Good Story Initiative, AUGB Eastbourne Branch, AUGB Hastings and Rother Branch, the Mayor of Bexhill, Bexhill Town Council, and MP Kieran Mullan.
Thank you to everyone who shared this special night with us. Your smiles, applause, and kind words mean the world.
We can’t wait to see you again at our Christmas performance on 20 December — another evening of music, warmth, and light!
