Udech-Fest (Ivana Kupala, Zhytachiv)Удеч-Фест «Івана Купала» у Жидачеві

An annual midsummer festival held on the banks of the Stryi River in Zhytachiv (Lviv region) celebrating the Ivana Kupala traditions 1 2. Over two days it features both folk and rock music concerts with national and local bands, craft markets and demonstrations, and classic Kupala rituals. These include a wreath-weaving contest, collective jumping over bonfires, and releasing flower wreaths on the river at night 3 2. The festival blends pagan and Christian heritage with a strong festive atmosphere and draws mostly local youth and families.

Kupala Night is a centuries-old Slavic solstice holiday focusing on nature, fertility and purification. In Western Ukraine (Galicia) it has been an important folk tradition since antiquity. The modern festival revives these customs (song, dance, wreaths, fire) as a way to preserve regional identity. Locals note that years ago the Ukrainian flag was first flown at a Kupala celebration nearby in the 1980s, linking the holiday to national heritage 1. Today it reinforces community bonds and cultural pride, even during wartime.