A lovely summer day welcomed over 2,500 festival-goers at the 44th Annual Ukrainian Independence Day Folk Festival, on Sunday, August 24, at the Ukrainian American Sport Center "Tryzub", in Horsham, PA. The shady festival glade was adorned with the flags of the United States and Ukraine, with the vibrant and colorful Ukrainian embroideries, folk arts and crafts, jewelry, emblems, motifs and wares displayed by the vendors.

Ukrainians, haling, directly or through ancestry, from nearly all regions of Ukraine, demonstrated solidarity with their homeland and with all fellow Ukrainians: Beautiful embroidered shirts and blouses, flags, Tryzubs, Ukrainian sports and thematic jerseys and Ukraine’s beautiful colors and language affirmed the presence of Ukraine’s immortal and immutable spirit, well before the concert had even started.

The St. Michael’s Kozaks and the Banner of Jasna Gora historical re-enactment groups accented the splendor of the grove with living, walking, and talking displays of the clothing, armor, armaments and daily wares from Ukraine’s Kozak era. Their presence and presentation of arms on stage during the festival concert’s opening ceremonies were brilliant reminders of the legendary struggle of Ukraine’s Kozaks for freedom and independence.

Many non-Ukrainians attended and came to learn and to experience the brilliant nature, culture and history of a people that perseveres in a twilight struggle for freedom and human rights and dignities.

The scene was perfect for celebrating and honoring the lives and sacrifices of twolocal American Heroes, Corey John Nawrocki (Lansdale, PA) and Bobby Pietrangelo (Hilltown, PA) fn./2 who gave their lives in the defense of Ukraine and her people against russia’s unprovoked, genocidal war.

Specifically, the festival’s opening ceremony, under the masterful direction of US Colonel (Ret.) Robert DeSousa, a Trustee of Manor College and former State Director for Senator Pat Toomey, paid tribute to the two Fallen Heroes and included a formal dedication of the festival concert program to their memory, which dedication was delivered by festival CO-MC, Yuliya Kurnitska.

“We dedicated this year’s festival to Bobby and Corey John — our neighbors, two sons of Pennsylvania, two defenders of freedom, and two beacons of the best of American values. Their legacy is now part of ours. Their sacrifice is part of Ukraine’s struggle. And their names will be remembered with reverence and love for generations to come,” said the festival organizers on behalf of the Ukrainian American community.

The mothers, families and childhood and other friends of both heroes were present, the closest on stage and the rest in the audience, to receive the community’s deepest gratitude, respect and recognition.

Wounded Ukrainian soldiers recovering in the U.S. and other Ukrainian army veterans joined members of the Ukrainian American Veterans Posts 1 (Phila.) and 42 (Lehigh Valley) and the Korean American Veterans of the Vietnam War in escorting the heroes’ families during the very poignant ceremony. Portrait photographs of Corey John and Bobby stood to the left and right of the podium. After a call for a moment of silent prayer and reflection, Col. DeSousa summoned the Ukrainian American Veterans’ Color Guard for the Anthems that were sung beautifully by a trio of the Soloveyky Youth Choir: Sofia Riznyk, Iryna Khloptseva and Veronika Yuriychyn. UASC Tryzub’s chaplains, Rev. Fathers Taras Naumenko and Roman Pitula, in the company of Rev. Father Mykola Ivanov, pastor of two local Ukrainian Catholic parishes, led the public in a “Prayer for Ukraine”.

On stage were members, or their representatives, of both Houses of U.S. Congress and the Pennsylvania General Assembly, a representative of the

Governor of Pennsylvania, and other state and local officials, all of whom delivered heartfelt words of thanks, sympathy and respect and all manner of Proclamations, Recognitions and Citations. American flags that flew over the US Capitol in honor of both men were also presented to the heroes’ mothers. Consul Nataliia Musiienko of the Consulate General of Ukraine in New York and our homeland’s local Honorary Consul, Iryna Mazur, also paid homage to the Heroes and presented their mothers with Ukrainian flags.

Representing the Charitable Historical Foundation FRAS, Mrs. Iryna Forostyan presented the brave defenders of Ukraine with the organization’s "BROTHER FOR BROTHER; FOR SACRIFICE" medal. Made from cartridges shot at the front and featuring engraved images of Scythian army archers as symbols, the medal has been presented to foreign defenders of Ukraine, since the year 2016. In perhaps the greatest surprise of the day, Grand Master Bong Pil Yang, an area leader of the Korean American community, presented the Republic of South Korea’s “Ambassador for Peace” medal.

Concert Co-MC, Eugne Luciw, then presented the mothers with their sons’ Ukrainian Nationals Tryzub team Jerseys; the heroes had been elected honorary Captains. They also received plaques honoring their sons, the originals of which had been hung in a place of honor in Tryzub’s clubhouse.

Afterwards, Col. DeSousa read a beautiful tribute that Voloshky artistic director, Taras Lewyckyj, had authored to the memory of the two Fallen Heroes. Representatives of multiple other area ethnic communities and organizations were present on stage and throughout the audience. Notably, lead festival sponsor Ukrainian SelfReliance Federal Credit Union’s CEO, Anatoli Murha, greeted the audience and opened the proceedings.

The tribute concluded with the singing by Evhenia Pochynok of a special, very poignant arrangement of David Bowie’s iconic song “Heroes” World class musicians, virtuoso violinist, Innesa Tymochko Dekajlo, and drummer, Maciek Schejbal of the Vox Ethnika orchestra, accompanied her.

Then, under the direction of Festival Co-MC’s Yuliya Kurnitska, Yuryy Sadovyy and Eugene Luciw, a tremendous caste of performers unleashed the “fireworks” of freedom and independence, a robust, colorful, vibrant and briskly paced cascade of Ukrainian music, song and dance. It roused the audience time and time again. As is the tradition at Tryzub, the artists themselves, spearheaded by Voloshky artistic director, Taras Lewyckyj, designed, created and executed an integrated collaborative concert program that underscored the theme: “A Celebration of Liberty and Unity”.

Philadelphia’s Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble took the stage with its spirited, vibrant high-energy style. Time and time again, throughout the program, it returned with a dynamic masterpiece that filled the stage with the majesty of Ukrainian dance artistry and generated a seemingly endless stream of audience accolades.

“Dukh Tantsu” (Spirit of the Dance), a newly organized dance ensemble from the Baltimore Washinton area, under the artistic direction of Roman Mykyta, served as the perfect complement to Voloshky’s performance. It presented both traditional Ukrainian regional dances and “choreographic miniatures” that related stories and narratives from Ukrainian culture, literature and history. Oftentimes the dances spurred artistic segments such as a tribute to Ukrainian singer songwriter, freedom fighter and martyr Volodymyr Ivasiuk and a commemoration of the personal sacrifices made by the defenders of Ukraine’s freedom.

In the former case, the Vox Ethnika orchestra saluted Ivasiuk with a rousing medley of his magnificent pop songs that today serve as anthems of freedom. In the latter case, the Dzvonyky youth theater group performed a ribbon dance that wove a large Ukrainian flag onto stage. This was accented by a song, “Unbreakable – Nezlamna” performed by Soloveyky soloist Sofia Riznyk.Amazing and inspiring performances by violinist Innesa Tymochko Dekajlo, the Vox Ethnika Orchestra, singer song-writer Iryna Lonchyna, the Soloveyky Youth Chorus singers, Veronika Yuriychyn and Iryba Khloptseva and young singers, Evhenia Pochynok and Varvara Ostapchuk completed the mosaic of Ukrainian artistic and national unity.

At the concert program’s finale, Voloshky broke out into a Hopak that was among the most vibrant and majestic that this writer has ever experienced. It was another salute and tribute to the selfless cooperation of the performing artists. As the encore music of Hopak continued to play, the MCs called all of the performers to the stage for a final good-bye that ended by a wonderful rendition of Mnohaya Lita by Iryna Lonchyna. Shouts of “Glory to Ukraine” – Glory to the Heroes” closed the concert.

A vibrant Zabava-Dance at the outdoor dance pavilion followed to the tunes of the Vox Ethnika orchestra. Face painting and other amusements were available for “kids of all ages”.

Throughout the day, the Tryuzb kitchen served luscious traditional Ukrainian foods and desserts, as well as Shahlyky and American BBQ staples. The St. Michael’s Kozaks also cooked on and open flame and served Ukrainian cabbagesoup and a Kozak stew called Kulish.