Mayor of Dutch city of Almere visits Ukrainian school, receives embroidered shirt as gift

That is according to the Facebook page of the community "Ukrainians in the Netherlands – Oekrainers in Nederland," Ukrinform reports.

The city mayor spoke in detail to the students about the specifics of his work in public administration, while senior students had the opportunity to personally talk with him about the future development of Almere, sharing their own dreams and plans for the future. As a memory of this warm visit, the Ukrainian community presented Hein van der Loo with a traditional embroidered shirt (vyshyvanka).

During the meeting, the sides discussed the importance of preserving the Ukrainian language, culture, and traditions. At the same time, the youngest pupils of the school from the "Zerniatka" group not only spent time in a relaxed atmosphere with the distinguished guest but also taught the Dutch mayor how to play the traditional Ukrainian ritual game "Podolianochka" and learned the first Ukrainian words with him: "Good morning" and "Good day."

The community expressed sincere gratitude to Hein van der Loo and the municipality of Almere for their constant attention, comprehensive support, and genuine interest in the development of the Saturday school. It is emphasized that such meetings inspire the community and once again confirm that preserving language and traditions is an important step in building an open and cohesive European society.

Photo credit: Oekrainers in Nederland / Facebook