Join us at the Malden Public Library Saturday, January 7th from 10-11am for a free cultural event. Vertep is the Ukrainian cultural tradition of Christmas puppet theater with its beginnings in the 17th century. Traveling groups of performers shared stories interweaving scenes from the nativity with daily life with up to 40 distinct characters.

The Vertep theatre developed into numerous regional variants but always with a central storyline – the conflict between good and evil. Evil is always vanquished and good always triumphs. Vertep was an illegal practice during the Soviet occupation of Ukraine but continued to be performed in secret as a way for the Ukrainian people to both rebel and preserve their culture.

Today, with darkness looming over Ukraine, these rich traditions offer a light of hope to lead us through this joyous season. The Ukrainian Cultural Center of New England hopes to share this tradition to bring hope, faith, and joy to our communities, by reminding us that good will always win over evil.