“Roots and Wings” in Denmark: How Ukrainian Children Learn to Live Between Two Cultures
The city of Odense hosted the third meeting as part of the “Koreni ta Kryla: A History That Unites” (Roots and Wings: A History That Unites) project, implemented by the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation. Over three days, teachers from Ukrainian schools in Denmark and Sweden worked with methodologies for teaching Ukrainian history, culture, and language, and discussed how to support children who today are forced to live between two countries, languages, and cultural environments.
Ethnologist and research fellow at the Ivan Honchar Museum Yaroslava Muzychenko joined the discussions. She presented her original “Circle of Knowledge” methodology and, together with the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation’s educational programs coordinator and author of the “Memories in Boxes” methodology Natalia Omelchuk, facilitated a discussion on “Ethnopedagogy: Educational and Developmental Resources.”
During the meeting, participants not only discussed educational approaches but also immersed themselves in Ukrainian traditional culture — through folk dances, summer-cycle games, and a paper-cutting (vytynanka) workshop. These are the kinds of activities that often help children preserve a sense of home even far from Ukraine.
One of the central topics of the gathering was cultural understanding and the integration of Ukrainian families into Danish society. The question of how to help children and young people find their place between two cultures and identities was explored with Yulia Arnfred Boyesen, an expert on Ukraine, international relations, and civil society development who has worked with Ukrainian youth and cultural initiatives for many years.
Participants expressed special gratitude to the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Denmark Andrii Yanevsky for joining the event and for ensuring that Ukrainians in Denmark have a representative who looks after their interests.
The project is implemented in Denmark by the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Denmark, and in cooperation with Hjælp Ukrainske Børn, led by the Adviser to the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kingdom of Denmark Lesia Ihnatyk-Erikson, and the NGO Lastivka, led by Vasyl Hedz.
