A piece by Ida Osten and Sofiia Butiaga

Beetroot. BuryaK. The unsung hero of Eastern European cuisine. Tastes like home.

This duet navigates the uneasy terrain between autonomy and oppression. What binds us and how we can move forward? As two women growing up in two different countries – Ukraine and Austria – we are still dependent on each other, no matter if we want it or not. Chains link our bodies, both as a metaphor and material. Did we fasten them ourselves or were they placed on us?
We are all creatures of habit. Carved slowly by repetition, rhythm, silence.
In the ritual of the renown dish ‘Borscht’ we see not just sustenance, but memory. We become each other’s mirror and a refugee.

They feed and wash one another. They nourish each other.

Trailer for the BuryaK:
https://youtu.be/2CBlwkk4rm4?si=fGA4biUd08w7dOJM

Photo credits: Ida Hebsgaard Mogensen