The Bradford branch of the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain's (AUW) annual commemoration of Ukrainian Heroines.

In February each year, the Association of Ukrainian Women in Great Britain (AUW) commemorate Ukrainian Heroines (Svyato Zhinky Heroyiny). February was chosen as this was the month in which Olha Basarab (died 1924) and Olena Teliha (died 1942) were killed because of their dissident activism in pursuit of Ukrainian independence.

At the time of the founding of the AUW, both deaths were still in recent memory and had struck a chord with the generation of Ukrainian women who had found themselves displaced in Germany at the end of the Second World War. The commemoration of Ukrainian Heroines usually includes a church liturgy and requiem and a performance known as an akademiya which comprises readings, poetry recitals, choral and dramatic performances.

The akademiya is held on the stage in the hall at Bradford Ukrainian Cultural Centre and is usually all in Ukrainian. As this is an akademyia, there is no audience applause during the performance or at the end. The AUW members who take part all wear traditional Ukrainian embroidered blouses (usually white fabric with red and black or blue embroidery) unless wearing a costume for one of the dramatic performances.

The stage is decorated with portraits of Ukrainian heroines, rushnyky (plural; singular - rushnyk: ritual cloths which are used decoratively around picture frames, furniture, lecterns etc.) The majority of the AUW women performing are second generation Ukrainians.