In this part of the exhibition, the kitchen becomes a platform for intergenerational encounters – a space of everyday conversations and domestic rituals. Here, families can explore the culinary traditions of different cultures – from Poland, through Ukraine, to Crimea. Discovering recipes, flavours, and aromas brings people together across differences of language and history. Here, cooking serves as a form of communication, a means of transmitting memory, and a way of building relationships.
Did you know that almost every culture has its own version of the dumpling? During the workshops, we prepared yantyky together – a traditional dish of the Crimean Tatars. Although they differ in shape from Polish pierogi or Ukrainian varenyky, they all speak of the same thing: hospitality and the joy of sharing a meal.
The presence of Crimean Tatar cuisine is not incidental. Crimea forms an essential part of Ukraine’s history and identity, while the fate of the Crimean Tatars – repeatedly deprived of their homes and displaced – is a story of loss, but also of a steadfast commitment to preserving their culture. Within this tradition, the shared meal has been – and remains – a fundamental way of sustaining bonds in the context of migration. We conducted the culinary workshops in collaboration with the Crimean House Foundation, which works to promote knowledge about the indigenous peoples of the peninsula.
In both Polish and Ukrainian cultures, everyday objects – such as embroidered towels, wall hangings, or tablecloths – have long served to organise space and root it in family memory. In the experience of migration, these simple textiles gain an added power – what has been carried along becomes a tangible link to a lost place and helps preserve a sense of continuity and the warmth of home.
Activities:
- Engage your senses—touch, smell, and discover the aromas of Polish, Ukrainian, and Crimean Tatar cuisine.
- Be part of making a cookbook with us! Share a recipe for a dish that makes you think of home.
- Traditional samplers often featured short rhymes highlighting values cherished by the household. What do you think should be included on such a sampler? Add your own elements and make a brief rhyme to match them.
- Find your favorite ingredients and fill the dumpling or yantyk with them.
