Mia Billetdeaux

In the days before Orthodox Easter in Soviet times, one Ukrainian historical researcher recalls children being lined up, their hands inspected for signs of forbidden dye. Teachers were searching for any sign that the children’s families had secretly celebrated the Christian holiday by decorating traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, or pysanky as they're known in Ukrainian. "Making pysanky was banned… Anyone caught with dye stains was punished," recalled Yaroslava Muzychenko, a researcher at the

The timeless classic was first performed during a Christmas concert by the student choir of the University of Kyiv in 1916.

Central to Ukraine's week-long preparations for the holiday is the Easter basket, known as sviachene, meaning “that which is blessed.”

Puzata Khata emerged from Soviet canteen culture, blending it with homestyle Ukrainian cuisine that resonates across generations.

Here's a look at the 12 types of dishes found at Ukrainian tables around the world on Christmas Eve.

There’s nothing sweeter than home, unless you’re a Kyivan — because then you have Kyiv Cake.

Ukrainians have been eating and adapting a dish known as borsch for at least 1,200 years.