Український Культурний Центр “Дніпро” - Ukrainian Cultural Center “Dnipro”

Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation (UAFF) IRS Recognized 501C3 Charitable Organization

562 Genesee Street - Buffalo, NY 14204 (716) 856-4476 

Dnipro Cultural Center

Pictures from Dnipro Emergency Repairs

Pictures from Ukrainian Events

Dear Friends and Members of Dnipro and the Ukrainian American Community in Buffalo:

The past two years have certainly been very difficult for all of us. While COVID continues to distort our daily lives, the 8-year long Russian war against Ukraine may catastrophically escalate at any moment.

Despite these difficult circumstances, the Volunteers at Dnipro have been very busy organizing Ukrainian themed programs, upgrading our Member’s Bar and Kitchen, and undertaking massive repair and reconstruction projects. We can all be very proud of the Ukrainian Cultural Center “Dnipro” in Buffalo. Especially when similar buildings, throughout North America have closed in recent years.

Dnipro needs an active, engaged, and supportive Hromada to thrive. We are asking for your continued trust and support, so please:

1. Mail your Annual Dues, along with the attached “Dnipro Annual Dues Form”
2. Make a generous donation to the “UAFF-Dnipro Building Fund”. In 2021 we spent $26,071 in building repairs, and only $5,605 remains in the Building Fund at year’s end.
3. Make a generous donation to the “UAFF-Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine Fund”. Since 2014 the Buffalo Hromada has raised $99,449 and shipped over 30 tons of aid to war-torn Ukraine.
4. Support Dnipro with your participation. Bring your weddings, parties, and special events to Dnipro. Come to the Member’s Bar and Kitchen on Friday night with family and friends.
5. Volunteer at Dnipro. Any Tuesday or Saturday. Call 847-1281 for details.

These are some of the repairs, and upgrade projects that were started, or completed, during 2021:

1. Main Kitchen. The Kitchen walls and ceiling have been replastered and painted. New kitchen cabinets, a new 3-bay sink, and a commercial dishwasher have been installed. There is now a dedicated walkway from our Bar-Lounge to the newly landscaped rear outside Picnic Grove.
2. Exterior Brick and Mortar repair. Repointed missing mortar which was leaking rainwater into the Velika Zalya, damaging the plaster. This required a contractor with a 60-foot man lift.
3. Velika Zalya. Repair of major plaster damage and repainting of large areas of the ceiling and walls. The intricate hand-painted details still have to be restored, when more funds are available.
4. WiFi. Upgraded WiFi through the entire building, including the Library and Ridna Shkola rooms
5. Taras Shevchenko Library. Installed a concert level sound system and speakers. Will soon add a high-powered computer, along with modern conference and presentation audio and video
6. Member’s Bar and Lounge. Received new tables, which are rectangular, seating 4-6 people each, and giving more flexibility when arranging for different types of events. We have added a small performance stage, and have already hosted a Bandura Kobzar concert, and several private wedding and baptism parties. We have new High-Definition TVs, a modern film projector and screen, and will be upgrading our sound system very soon.
7. New Art Room for Children. We converted an underutilized basement room into a modern, brightly painted, Children’s Art Room. Classes already underway.

Dnipro exists to preserve, maintain, and nurture Ukrainian culture, language and history. Dnipro provides room for to socialize; to share; to bond together; to plan; to dream; and to build our own little version of Ukraine.

Dear friends, if you are interested in making our Ukrainian Cultural Center the pride of our community, then please join with us to re-imagine and rebuild Dnipro together. Only by working together can we make a Community Center for many future generations to enjoy. We can give our children the priceless gift of making Dnipro a place that they would be proud to pass on to their own children. Let's us do it together today.

Let us not wait until it is too late, and we lose our Treasure, like the sad fate that has befallen many other Ukrainian buildings in America and Canada over the past few decades.

Some possible future projects are:

1. Bar-Lounge; painting of wall murals with scenes of Kyiv, Lviv or the Ukrainian countryside - Complete the restoration of the 2nd Main Ballroom (Velika Zalya)
2. Modernization of the 2nd floor Kitchen and Bar-Lounge
3. Modernization of the 3rd floor - Continue the façade and brick work repair and repointing
4. Build an outdoor stage, and storage areas
5. Installation of a Children’s Activity, Playroom, and Game room in the former Bowling Alley

Donations to the “UAFF Building Fund” are IRS tax deductible. Please mail donation to:

UAFF Dnipro 562 Genesee Street Buffalo, NY 14204

In closing, the most important thing that you can give to Dnipro is you participation. Either as a volunteer, a donor, or a regular visitor. Come to our Member’s Bar, Lounge and Kitchen on Friday evenings. Bring you family and friends.

Rent our halls and outdoor space for your family, business, organizational or business events.

1. Baby and wedding showers
2. Birthday and retirement parties
3. Stag and Stagette parties
4. Weddings
5. Cultural events
6. Business, non-profit, union meetings
7. Film, dance performances

Glory to Ukraine and the Ukrainian American Community in Buffalo.