Laureates of each category will receive valuable prizes from the organizers and partners of the competition
Within the framework of the “Independence Pie – 2026” initiative, registration has opened for the “My Independence Pie” competition, which celebrates stories about culinary traditions, regional flavors, and the homemade baking of Ukrainians. This was reported by “Glavkom” citing the Kyiv City State Administration.
“The competition aims to explore the gastronomic practices of different regions of Ukraine, encourage the study of family history, preserve culinary heritage, popularize family recipes, and the tradition of baking a pie for Ukraine’s Independence Day,” the statement reads.
In 2026, the organizers have established separate categories:
- “Pie from the Defense Forces of Ukraine” for military personnel and veterans;
- “Pie from Youth” for individuals aged 18–23, students, cadets, and young professionals;
- “Pie from the Community” for collectives, educational institutions, communities of individual cities or villages, enterprises, and public organizations;
- “Pie from Female Entrepreneurs” for heads of small or medium-sized businesses of various categories, owners of coffee shops, bakeries, cafes, production facilities, or farms;
- “My Pie” for everyone interested.
“To participate in the competition, choose a category, prepare your pie recipe and its story, and fill out the participant’s application form,” the statement advises.
The winner of each category will be awarded valuable gifts from the competition’s organizers and partners.
The initiators of this competition are Olena Braichenko, Larisa Latypova, Yulia Zhmakina, Larisa Mudrak, and Natalia Jemchenko, who are overseeing the project’s implementation.
The project explores Ukraine’s gastronomic traditions and encourages baking family pies for Independence Day Photo: Independence Pie initiative on Facebook
More information about the competition and the initiative’s progress is available on:
- the official competition page
- the official initiative page
- More details about the project can be found at the provided link.
To participate, please complete the application form via the link by August 24, 2026.
As a reminder, in honor of the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence, Kyiv will provide one-time targeted financial assistance to nearly 255,000 Kyiv residents totaling 146 million UAH. This assistance will be provided to socially vulnerable Kyiv residents and internally displaced persons registered and residing in the capital. Payments will be made by order of the Kyiv Mayor in accordance with the municipal targeted program “Care. Towards Kyiv Residents.”
Additionally, the prominent Ukrainian writer Lina Kostenko has become the face of a jewelry collection celebrating the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence.