Vila Zelina

Vila Zelina is a neighborhood located in São Paulo, Brazil, best known for the great number of east European immigrants like Lithuanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Hungarian immigrants that have settled there in the early twentieth century, being the one of the greatest colony outside Lithuania^[1] and the sole neighborhood in the city to perform masses in Lithuanian at São José Church. The neighborhood has also a great number of Russian, Ukrainians and Polish immigrants. In a monthly basis the local neighbors and commercials association named AMOVIZA organize an open air East European immigrants handcraft and gastronomy fair at Monsenhor Pio Ragazisnkas Street on Sundays. The East European immigrants helped to develop Vila Zelina since their foundation on 27 / October / 1927 . Mr. Carlos Corkisko,a Russian immigrant, was one of the key people that helped Vila Zelina during their colonization by East European immigrants. October is Vila Zelina`s anniversary where have being commemorated in an open air party with typical east European food, folkloric dance and music shows and handcrafts.

Notes

1. RAPCHAN, Eliane Sebeika; "Lituanos e seus descendentes: Reflexões sobre a identidade nacional numa comunidade de imigrantes" (in Portuguese), p. 1. Available in http://www.historica.arquivoestado.sp.gov.br/materias/anteriores/edicao10/materia01/texto01.pdf