Ukraine is torn apart and battered by years of war against the Russian invasion, and many Ukrainians have found themselves in Quebec, fleeing destruction and violence. On Sunday, Montreal’s Ukrainian expatriate community is organizing a small community festival centered around the region’s most comforting meal: a hearty bowl of borscht.
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THANK YOU, BORSCHT!
Borscht (or borsch, depending on the region) is a beet soup with onions and potatoes, served with dill and, for those with a real sweet tooth, sour cream. Borscht is found in nearly every culture in Eastern Europe, with variations—meat, no meat, green beans, no green beans, with pelmeni in it or not, etc.—and everyone claims that thereal borscht comesfrom their own region.
There are several versions of borscht: Russian, Polish, Romanian, and Ukrainian, which differ from region to region and from family to family. That’s how we know it’s a miraculous soup.
Borscht is as versatile as Eastern European culture, and we’ll get to taste five Ukrainian recipes at the MERCI BORSCH! event, including:
- Cranberry borsch from the Ukrainian nonprofit VARENYK UKRAINIEN
- the classic borsch at PIEROGIE LILI, one of our favorite restaurants in Montreal
- Pork Borscht from the non-profit organization L’IMMIGRANT
- SmakOTa’s eggplant borsch from O&T Kitchen
In addition to a hearty bowl of borscht, there will be music, entertainment, artistic activities, and plenty of love and gratitude. It’s at community events like this that we feel most deeply the need to love and support one another.
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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Where? Viger Square, Viger Avenue East
When? Sunday, October 4, 2026, from noon to 4 p.m.
What? Free admission
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