About Us
Our Youth Ambassadors for 2024
Meet Daniel Sultan and Ella Kachulak Robins.
Each are uniquely involved in the Ukrainian Community in Manitoba as well as long standing volunteers at the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion,
Daniel attends West Kildonan Collegiate in grade 11, where he has been awarded as an honour roll student for the past 2 years and has helped his school soccer team achieve numerous awards in competitions. He is proud to have completed the course of Introduction to Athletic Therapy from the High School Enrichment Program with the University of Winnipeg. Daniel is actively involved in the Ukrainian Community by being a volunteer at the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion for many years as a member of the tidy team from which his interests for folklorama have started, and by being a member of the PLAST organization in the past. After high school he plans to pursue a post secondary education at the University of Manitoba with the goal of becoming an aerospace engineer.
Ella is a current grade 12 student at West Kildonan Collegiate, where she has been a high achiever, and active school community member. She has earned academic honour roll status for three consecutive years and has received numerous awards for her athleticism in various sports. Outside of school, Ella is actively involved in the Ukrainian community, through Ukrainian dance at the U.N.F. school of dance both as a teacher and performer.
In addition, she has actively supported newly arrived Ukrainians into Manitoba through her summer employment with the Ukrainian National Federation.
After graduation, she plans to continue her post secondary education in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba, with the goal of becoming a teacher.
Our Adult Ambassadors for 2024
Meet Oksana Dudych and Blair Yakimoski.
Oksana Dudych was born and raised in Western Ukraine. She immigrated to Canada in 1989 with her mom and brother.
Upon arrival in Canada, the family embraced the new country and everything it had to offer. Annual visits to various Folklorama pavilions have always been a highlight of every summer!
As a proud Ukrainian Canadian, Oksana has been and is currently actively involved in a wide variety of community organizations. These include Sts. Volodymyr and Olha Cathedral Parish Council, Ridna Shkola (Parents Committee), Canadian Foundation for the Ukrainian Free University, Plast, and her children’s Ukrainian dancing groups. She has been volunteering at Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion for the last ten years and is extremely proud to share her Ukrainian culture with all the Pavilion’s visitors and volunteers.
Oksana holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Manitoba and has been employed with Immaculate Heart of Mary School for over 25 years, where she is able to share her culture with thousands of students and parents.
Oksana is married to Tom, and together they have two children: Mark and Alyssa.
It is an honour to represent the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion at this year’s Folklorama!
Blair has had a lifelong connection to his Ukrainian Canadian roots and culture. His journey with Folklorama began as a young Cossack performing at the Ukraine pavilion in 1974 and throughout his adult life as a performer with Romanetz, Rusalka, and more recently with Melos Folk Ensemble. As a performer with Rusalka in 1986, he found his lifetime dance partner Amy, and their children Scott, Michaella & Laryssa were often involved in Ukrainian culture through dance, art, and language. They always knew that August was a time for fun while volunteering & performing at Folklorama.
As the owner of Plessis IGA up until 2013, he always supported many local causes. In 2016 he was elected to the Manitoba Legislature and as the MLA for Transcona. In this role, he was proud to host events by the government supporting Holodomor education, Vyshyvanka Day, and the agreement between Novopecherska School in Kyiv Ukraine with Manitoba’s Education Ministry. This agreement offers Manitoba’s curriculum to students in Ukraine, who graduate with a Manitoba diploma, thereby allowing direct entry to our universities.
In 2019 he was fortunate to accompany his wife and children, on a tour of Israel & Ukraine with Rusalka and Chai Folk Ensemble, and has always celebrated the diversity and vibrancy of our global cultural differences.
Presently he is a Realtor with Century 21 Sun Country, serves on the board of directors of Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural & Education Center, and serves as its representative on Ukrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba division.
Blair would like to extend a warm Folklorama welcome to all visitors to the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion and invite them to enjoy the vibrancy, tastes, sounds, and atmosphere of this year's Yarmarok or Ukrainian Market.
Previous Years Ambassadors
Want to see more? Keep going into our Ambassadors Vault !
Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion will return in August 2026!
We’re thrilled to announce that the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion is officially confirmed for the first festival week -
August 2- 8, 2026!
After the incredible success of 2025, we’re returning with a focus on what makes our Ukrainian Cuisine unique and an expanded focus on the Yarmarok -Farmers Market—bigger than ever to meet the demand from last year.
Tickets will be available June 8th, 2026
But in the meantime maybe you want to step back in time and see some familiar names that represented us in the past.