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About Us
Our Youth Ambassadors for 2025
Meet Bohdan Deneka and Mya Spewak
Each are uniquely involved in the Ukrainian Community in Manitoba as well as long standing volunteers at the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion,
Bohdan Deneka
Bohdan has graduated from Garden City Collegiate this year. He is a high achiever who has demonstrated strong academic performance while balancing his extensive volunteer commitments.
Outside of school, Bohdan has always been a part of the Ukrainian community. He has been a PLAST Ukrainian Youth Association member since 2013 and spends his summers as a counselor for PLAST camps. He has also volunteered at the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion for multiple years, assisting in the food service line.
Additionally, through his summer employment with the Ukrainian National Federation, Bohdan has actively supported newly arrived Ukrainians in Manitoba.
He will continue his studies in Engineering at the University of Manitoba.
Mya Spewak
Mya attends Miles Macdonell Collegiate in grade 11, where she is an honor roll student and involved in the school community such as yearbook committee, cross country and the cheer and dance team. Outside of school Mya is actively involved in the Ukrainian community, through Ukrainian dance at the Rusalka UNF school of dance as a performer and assisting with costumes.
Mya has been volunteering at the Kyiv pavilion from a young age, as performer, member of the tidy team, volunteer food, and a food server for reservations. She volunteers with UCC helping with various events throughout the year, her other volunteer posts include: Ukrainian park children's camp as a counselor as well as a catechism teacher at St Anne's Ukrainian Catholic church.
Mya loves baking and creating new recipes in her spare time.
Our Adult Ambassadors for 2025
Meet Alexander Karpa and Tetiana Bezhenar. Passionate about preserving and sharing Ukrainian culture in their own unique ways, these two dedicated individuals embody the heart of our community — one through lifelong artistic performance and media, the other through music, education, and cultural advocacy.
Alexander Karpa
Summer for Alexander Karpa would not be complete without the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion and Folklorama.
He’s been volunteering since he was young — whether it’s dancing, singing or emceeing the shows, it’s always a highlight for him.
Alexander has been an active member in the Ukrainian community for his whole life.
He recently retired from Ukrainian dancing, after over a decade as a member of the Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.
He was fortunate enough to travel around the world, including to Ukraine in 2019. He also made lifelong friends while in the group, was able to perform alongside his sister Orycia Karpa, and Mama, Shelley Karpa, and it’s where his relationship with his now fiancée Kathryn Kuzyk began.
He’s currently a proud member of the Hoosli Ukrainian Male Chorus, singing alongside his Tato, Dr. Mark Karpa.
He’s also a member of the Ukrainian polka band Budmo, performing at various Ukrainian festivals and events across Manitoba and Canada.
Currently, Alexander is a reporter with CTV National News in Manitoba, starting that job in October 2024. He was formerly with CityNews Winnipeg.
Alexander is honoured and excited to be this year’s 2025 Adult Ambassador at the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion. See you there!
Tetiana Bezhenar
Tetiana Bezhenar comes from Sniatyn, a small town in Western Ukraine. She arrived in Winnipeg in 2023 with her parents and has been actively involved in the Ukrainian community ever since. Tetiana takes part in numerous cultural events that celebrate her heritage.
She volunteered at the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion — part of general admissions and the marketplace team. In addition, she has been an enthusiastic supporter for Ukrainians in Manitoba through her volunteer work with the Ukrainian National Federation.
Tetiana is also an active member of the O. Koshetz Choir, where she shares her love for Ukrainian culture through music and song.
Before coming to Canada, Tetiana worked as a French teacher in Ukraine. She continues her teaching career at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Winnipeg, where she teaches both French and Ukrainian. In her classroom, Tetiana integrates culture into her lessons, often sharing traditional Ukrainian recipes such as borscht, which is her favourite dish.
Let's Go Back in TIME and See who Represented Us in the Recent Past....
Want to see more? Keep going into our Ambassadors Vault !
Thank You for Making the Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion a Success!
The Ukraine Kyiv Pavilion has officially wrapped up another wonderful Folklorama Festival—and what a resounding success it was!
This celebration would not have been possible without the incredible support of our guests, the dedication of our volunteers, and the talent of our performers. Each of you played an important part in bringing our pavilion to life and sharing the beauty of Ukrainian culture with the world. We’re already looking forward to welcoming you back next year for the 55th Folklorama Festival!