Photo credit: Raisa Stone

Raisa Stone tells Ukrainian and Canadian legends, performs dynamic spoken word poetry, and sings a song or two.

Baba is the respectful title given Slavic female elders, who pass down tribal stories, wisdom and attitude.

Take a seat at Raisa's table. Leave a chair empty to welcome an ancestor.

We are here because of the love and stories of thousands before. 

Vitayamo, welcome.


We acknowledge the support of Canada Council for the Arts.


Baba Raisa's Storytelling Videos
Accessibility features 

Visual: Each video title is preceded by the word "video". Move cursor down and to the right for start button.

Audible: once video starts playing, move cursor down and slightly to right for closed captioning. I am a disabled artist learning how to create universal accessibility. One video is on the right.
Click above for video: Baba Goes to Church. Uh oh. It's hard to compensate for a lifetime of sin.
Click above for video: Hanya's very special soup. When refugee Hanya finds herself with an abusive husband, she finds an extremely creative solution. True story.
Click above for video:  Baba, Sergei and the Boomslang. Sergei dreamed of touring Africa all his life. But what happens when his worst fear comes true on safari?
Click above for video: Baba's tips for harvesting apples. "What, you think I am goimg to snag my good support hose?"
Click above for video: Baba Raisa goes swimming. Naked.
Sometimes a free sandwich and a beer just aren't worth it.

NB: Several videos contain a slight windy sound, as this project was conducted mainly during extreme heat that reached 103 degrees F. There were multiple cooling devices around myself and my Project Supervisor bunny Boryslav, who endured the heat in his fur coat. Because he is a rock star.

Click above for video: Baba tells you about her House Goat, Sonya, who dreams of being a fashion model.
Click above for video:  Baba meets a Yuppie Hippie Yoga Face. And teaches you how to sabotage a Frenemy. "Yellow lumps? Why, those are negative calorie soy granules!"
Click above for video: A Turkey in Your Underwear. What happens when Old Country survival tactics meet New Country temptations? Baba doesn't let a little (well a lot of) arthritis stop her from obtaining chocolate.
Click above for video: Eat Poop, Poopchik! Baba tells the Ukrainian legend of how honey was created. There's an anxious bee, God, and the Devil. What else do you need?
Graphic above: Canada Council for the Arts/Conseil des arts du Canada logo in sky blue font. Tree symbol, black. Click www.canadacouncil.ca button above
Click above for video: Baba and Boryslav's Road Trip. A cross-Canada adventure with a street-rescued rabbit disguised as an exotic handbag dog.
Click above for video: Baba Raisa, Nazi Hunter. She makes them come to her.
Click above for video: Baba Raisa is seduced by the Rusalky, Slavic water spirits. She almost leaves us for life underwater. Almost. What happens in the liminal space will move and surprise you.
Click above for video: Who is Strange Man in Baba's Driveway? The morning after a blizzard, Baba awakens to a strange sound. Only in Winnipeg.
Click above for video:  Baba tells you about being a nanny for a weirdo. It involves a poopy baby, a very rich lady, and a wrench.
Click above for video: Don't touch Baba's dog Bingo! The hydro meter man thinks all dogs love him. Not this one.
Click above for video: Baba Raisa simplifies physics with an explanation of how cooking and babies really work.

Raisa's book, Baba's Kitchen: Ukrainian Soul Food is a rollicking journey through the 44,000 year old history of Ukraine's Indigenous people, alternately as deep and dark, playful and humorous as the Slavic soul---Joseph Conrad, Chuck Palahniuk, Jack Palance and Andy Warhol are Ukrainian. Also: horse taming, helicopters, immunology, radiology, bows and arrows, bridles/bits/saddles, the most prolific goddess culture artifacts, and PANTS.

Oh, and food. Lots of food. Raisa has spent a lifetime collecting outrageous stories and recipes from Communist and Holocaust survivors. And put her own twist on them. She is just one of those people who attracts adventure, and plunges right in.

Rosie's Rescue is a book for animal loving children eight years plus, especially horse crazy ones.

"Baba’s Kitchen is a fluid narrative created in the voice of a fictional character, Baba, who expounds on all manner of humorous subjects and cultural lore. Based on the particular nature of the manuscript, we admitted the title as a humorous essay, albeit one that can also be used as a companion to Ukrainian cuisine."
~Canada Council for the Arts, Public Lending Rights Program, which compensates authors for library use of our books

Instagram: @BabaRaisaStone