Western Ukrainian festival – Hutsul bryndsya

Hutsul festival – national cheese celebrations, folk dancing and singing!

If you want to explore traditions of Ukraine and learn more about its culture and vyshyvanka – visit folk festival in Rahiv (western part of Ukraine).

This festival has deep historical roots and leads back to many centuries ago.

Every year, in April shepherds take their sheep herds deep to the mountains on the rich fields where remain until the beginning of September.

While staying in mountains shepherds take care about their animals, milk the sheep and produce cheese, bryndzya and vurda (types of cheese).

Annually hutsuls (so called Ukrainian who lives in the Carpathian Mountains) celebrate national festival of cheese – Hutsul bryndzya!

western ukraine tour — Hutsul national dress

Hutsul bryndzya festival – holiday of the return home from mountains with with sheep and cheese.

After hard working all summer in the mountains sheep farmers back home and arrange a resounding celebrations – Hutsul Festival or “bryndzya” which are held in the city of Rahiv during the first weekend of September 2016.

This festival shows Hutsul traditions, most of which have not changed for centuries.

Hutsul parade in Rahiv — Hutsul kids parade in Rahiv

During Bryndzya festival one of the things to do is:

see how to make cheese;
assess the diversity of many nationalities of Transcarpathia;
ride horses;
be delighted with uncountable styles of Hutsul national dress and vyshyvankas;
try Hutsul hatchet and pistols;
taste dozens of diverse products from the Ukrainian, Hungarian, Romanian and other cuisines;
dance the fiery music and try trembita – the longest national instrument;
enjoy beauty of Rahiv city – heart of the Carpathian Mountains!

Beauty of the Carpathian Mountains, lovely vyshyvankas and rich folk celebrations will impress you forever.