Downtown fest of all things Slavic doubles in size this year

YOUNGSTOWN

For Dinah Fedyna, taking her daughter, Natalia Novicky, to Simply Slavic on Saturday was about much more than just getting a chance to see Natalia dance on stage, or sampling the wide range of ethnic foods that were available.

It was about exposing her daughter to the Slavic culture that they share, even though they are not biologically related.

All four of Fedyna’s grandparents were from Ukraine, and that is where Natalia, 10, was born. Fedyna and her husband traveled to Ukraine and adopted Natalia when she was 3½ years old.

“We’re going to spend most of the day hanging out here,” said Fedyna, 54, a doctor who lives and practices in Austintown.

Natalia is a member of the Youngstown Ukrainian Dancers, which was among the many groups performing during Saturday’s all-day celebration of all things Slavic.

The festival was founded last year by David Slanina and Ken Shurilla, and Slanina said it more than doubled in size from its inaugural year.

For the complete story, read Sunday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.