Ukrainians Take Dance Lessons in Subway Station in Order to Preserve Their Culture Amid War

Aside from fighting the Russian army, Ukrainians are trying to preserve their culture in other ways.

Around 40 residents of Kyiv show up to weekly dance classes in a city subway station, where it’s safe from missiles, to learn traditional dances.

Organizers say it’s also a pleasant distraction.

"We have a boom for people who want to dance. Maybe it's related to continuous stress and here they can live an absolutely normal life for two hours,” Illia Fetysov, a dance teacher, told APTN.

While there are plenty of elders who are very familiar with these dances, the class is made up of mostly younger people who have come to the harsh realization that their country’s independence is fragile.

"I'm here not only because of war but we need to revive our culture, even despite the war, it's always necessary to know,” a resident told APTN.

The war has just passed the one-year anniversary, but Ukrainians are hoping that one day they’ll be able to dance out in the open streets of Kyiv without worry.

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