1 June 2026
Vladyslava Bondar in a maple tree, holding a branch to protect against rusalky.
We got a spectacular preview of summer over the bank holiday last weekend, reminding us that the change from one season to the next is a major moment in our collective and personal lives. It's a time for looking forward, adjusting mindsets, and tuning in to the cycle of the year. Ukrainians have traditional rituals for moving safely from spring into summer – but you don't have to be Ukrainian to appreciate the beauty of a custom centred on the power of trees and greenery.
Right now we're in the middle of the transition period between the seasons, which pivots around Trinity Sunday. That was yesterday; today is the first day of Rusalii, or Rusalnyi Week. The preparation for that began last week, with the start of the Green Holidays and the gathering of greenery, to be brought to church on Trinity Sunday and placed around people's homes. That's called klechannia, and it's a protective procedure to keep households safe.
Traditionally, the phase in which spring turns into summer is believed to be like Midsummer Eve, the night of Kupala – a time in which the boundary between the material world and the invisible world softens, allowing magic and spirits to enter the world we live in. During Rusalii, the focus is on rusalky, the spirits of women and girls who died unquiet deaths. Rusalky inhabit water, but during Rusalii they can come out on dry land, where they can be dangerous. People use maple, birch or linden branches to keep them out of their houses, while strewing grass or hay on the floors inside. But they don't hate the rusalky, recognising them as troubled rather than evil. They hang towels or clothing on their fences so that the rusalky have something to wear, and at the end of the week, they go in a procession to the local pond or river. It's not 'Be gone, demon,' but 'Here's a towel, let me escort you back to where you came from'.
This isn't just a village custom. A Rusalii festival was held yesterday in Kyiv, complete with a talk about folk horror and the image of rusalky in Ukrainian cinema. Here in Brighton we've gathered maple branches, we've posted tips on Instagram about how to celebrate the arrival of summer, and we wish you Happy Green Holidays!
If you want to feel more Rusalii magic, get along to the concert that the wonderful Sussex Ukrainian choirs Ukrainian Voices and Nebo i Zemlia will be giving on Saturday 6 June, 6pm, at St Andrew’s Church, West Tarring BN13 1 HQ (nearest train station West Worthing). Come for the singing, stay to meet the rusalky! Tickets are available here.
And in just over two weeks’ time, it’s Silence and Sirens, our 18 June event at the Rose Hill! More info and a ticket link here.
2 April 2026
Walking, Talking, Finding Paths
Spring into Summer: Mind the Gap!
Vladyslava Bondar in a maple tree, holding a branch to protect against rusalky.
We got a spectacular preview of summer over the bank holiday last weekend, reminding us that the change from one season to the next is a major moment in our collective and personal lives. It's a time for looking forward, adjusting mindsets, and tuning in to the cycle of the year. Ukrainians have traditional rituals for moving safely from spring into summer – but you don't have to be Ukrainian to appreciate the beauty of a custom centred on the power of trees and greenery.
Right now we're in the middle of the transition period between the seasons, which pivots around Trinity Sunday. That was yesterday; today is the first day of Rusalii, or Rusalnyi Week. The preparation for that began last week, with the start of the Green Holidays and the gathering of greenery, to be brought to church on Trinity Sunday and placed around people's homes. That's called klechannia, and it's a protective procedure to keep households safe.
Traditionally, the phase in which spring turns into summer is believed to be like Midsummer Eve, the night of Kupala – a time in which the boundary between the material world and the invisible world softens, allowing magic and spirits to enter the world we live in. During Rusalii, the focus is on rusalky, the spirits of women and girls who died unquiet deaths. Rusalky inhabit water, but during Rusalii they can come out on dry land, where they can be dangerous. People use maple, birch or linden branches to keep them out of their houses, while strewing grass or hay on the floors inside. But they don't hate the rusalky, recognising them as troubled rather than evil. They hang towels or clothing on their fences so that the rusalky have something to wear, and at the end of the week, they go in a procession to the local pond or river. It's not 'Be gone, demon,' but 'Here's a towel, let me escort you back to where you came from'.
This isn't just a village custom. A Rusalii festival was held yesterday in Kyiv, complete with a talk about folk horror and the image of rusalky in Ukrainian cinema. Here in Brighton we've gathered maple branches, we've posted tips on Instagram about how to celebrate the arrival of summer, and we wish you Happy Green Holidays!
If you want to feel more Rusalii magic, get along to the concert that the wonderful Sussex Ukrainian choirs Ukrainian Voices and Nebo i Zemlia will be giving on Saturday 6 June, 6pm, at St Andrew’s Church, West Tarring BN13 1 HQ (nearest train station West Worthing). Come for the singing, stay to meet the rusalky! Tickets are available here.
And in just over two weeks’ time, it’s Silence and Sirens, our 18 June event at the Rose Hill! More info and a ticket link here.
2 April 2026
Walking, Talking, Finding Paths