Hundreds of people gathered at University Place in Chapel Hill to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day on Aug. 24. The festival was hosted by the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina, and featured performances of traditional songs and dances along with dozens of vendors selling crafts such as art, jewelry, books, and foods. Oleh Wolowyna, a director of the UANC who is also a fellow of the UNC-Chapel Hill Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and Eastern European Studies, said the local Ukrainian community in the Triangle area has swelled as many people have fled the country recently. “There are a lot of people that have come from Ukraine in the last two years since the invasion,” he said. “So the number of Ukrainians in North Carolina has increased significantly.” Maryna Kapustina, the president of the UANC, said attendance at events such as the Independence Day festival has visibly increased during the war Ukraine is fighting against Russia, which started when Russia invaded the country i...