A woman wearing a vibrant red patterned blouse and a colorful headscarf is seated at a table in a cozy room filled with Ukrainian folk art and decor. She has a warm, friendly smile on her face. In front of her on the table are several bunches of fresh greenery, likely herbs or leafy vegetables, a metal bowl filled with brown eggs, and a wooden board with rolled dough, suggesting she may be preparing traditional Ukrainian dishes or pierogies. The scene exudes a sense of cultural authenticity and tradition.

Immersive Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

I'm usually not a museum person, but the immersive Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village in Edmonton is worth the trip in itself. The living village features over 30 buildings dating back to before 1930 when Canada saw their first major wave of Ukrainian immigration. Almost all the buildings are original, and costume interpreters play actual Ukrainian immigrants -- as in, real people they extensively researched -- and do not break character for anything. While wandering through a sod house from 1900, a grocery store from 1929 and a hotel from 1929 (rooms were $1 per night then) I truly felt like I'd gone back in time. Another highlight: learning to make pierogies (pyrophy) with the women. Interestingly, the fillings depended on what was available, so there is no "traditional" filling. While one woman made hers with potato and dill, another added blueberries. Yum! What's your favorite museum experience?

Immersive Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village

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