Welcome to Our Site

Barvinok is a Ukrainian Dance Troop, located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and founded in 1990. We have an unswerving commitment to the art form of Traditional Ukrainian Dance. 2009-2010 is our 20th Year Anniversary.

The Meaning of Barvinok

Barvinok (Periwinkle) is a flowering plant used for special occasions like the Kupals Festival which is a Slavic celebration of ancient pagan origin, marking the end of the summer solstice and the beginning of harvest.

The single girls would wear scented herbs and flowers in their hair to attract the males. They divined their fates according to what happened to the garlands which they had sent floating down the river. They also believed that the plants and herbs could protect them from the evil forces of nature and even cure illness in humans and animals. Priests sanctioned this belief by blessing the herbs in church on the day of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24.