This is our spiritual armor. What is the significance of the Ukrainian vyshyvanka ornament

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Every year on the third Thursday of May, Ukrainians traditionally dress up in embroidered dresses. This year, Vyshyvanka Day falls on May 18. The embroidered shirt changed its place in the wardrobe from everyday clothes to the most elegant. About the history of the holiday, the meaning of embroidery as a talisman and modern ornaments, “UP.Zhyttia” talked with one of the founders of the holiday, Lesya Voronyuk, artist Khrystyna Duh-Zafiyovska, and folklore collector, owner of the Vyshyvanka Museum in Verkhovyna, Halyna Yacentiuk. Development of Vyshyvanka Day In 2006, five students of the History Faculty of Chernivtsi University wore Vyshyvankas. “T-shirts with DiCaprio and Titanic were fashionable then, not embroidered shirts. Only students who studied well wore them,” recalls one of the founders of the holiday, Lesya Voroniuk, with a smile. Then dozens of students supported the initiative in Chernivtsi. At that time, it was “not fashionable” to dress in embroidered clothes, so changing it was another achievement. “I remember very well the first Vyshyvanka Day, when I walked into the history department wearing an embroidered shirt and looked for other people who also joined the action. I walk on the first floor – and I don’t see anyone. I go up the stairs – I see one person in a shirt , one more, one more. Now I already understand that it was such a bold and desperate decision, because at that time it was even an “anti-trend,” shares Lesya Voronyuk. Now the meaning of vyshyvanka has changed radically. Just like once, more than 100 years ago , it became a sacred talisman for Ukrainians. Vysyvanka from “unfashionable” became one of the main talismans of the culture of independent Ukraine. Photo: olena_kosynska/Depositphotos “Vysyvanka is embroidered to protect. Once it was a kind of charm, especially for children. Now it is a talisman for all Ukrainians,” emphasizes Halyna Yacentyuk. “Today, when the embroidered shirt is 17 years old, and there is war outside the window, the embroidered shirt is spiritual armor for me. I think that this is the most expressive and clear definition of it,” adds the co-founder of the holiday. Vyshyvanka acquired such a meaning already after the 2000s. From “unfashionable” it became one of the main talismans of the culture of independent Ukraine. Lesya Voronyuk shyly agrees , that the introduction of Vyshyvanka Day could also contribute to this. “It [свято – ред.] arose on the one hand, probably by accident, and on the other – probably naturally. By chance – when one day I saw a friend of Ihor Zhitaryuk in an embroidered shirt during a break at the university. He sometimes wore it and one of his friends suggested choosing one day to get together and wear embroidered shirts. At that time, only a few dozen students supported this action, but this is how the holiday was born. On the other hand, perhaps this idea was conceived naturally. Because I was born in an absolutely artistic family. This is a family that never succumbed to the regime of Soviet occupation and ideology. This is a family where Ukrainian identity has always been preserved,” says Voronyuk. Going abroad The co-founders of Vyshyvanka Day sent hundreds of letters to state authorities asking them to support students in starting the holiday. And they did their job. Vyshyvanka Day is now celebrated in more than 100 countries of the world and not only Ukrainians. Embroidered Ukrainian shirts are given to presidents of other countries, officials and stars. The latter proudly wear them as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine. May Musk in an embroidered shirt from a Ukrainian brand. Photo: Maye Musk/Facebook However, a embroidered shirt is not just beautiful clothes. This is Ukrainian identity. Ancient embroideries are works of art that distinguish Ukraine from other nations. “Embroidery should be in the soul, so that a person does not feel “any difference”. If a person’s soul does not respond to it, then there is nothing to wear on the body either. Over the past three years, so many people have bought embroidered shirts from me that I can’t even count. Especially many immigrants who moved to us want to buy embroidered clothes, because they say that they have never had them. You have to see how a person at the age of 45 wears an embroidered shirt for the first time. People get fit for the holiday, that’s why it’s needed,” says Halyna Yasentiuk confidently. What do the patterns and ornaments on the embroidery mean? Each Ukrainian region has its own ornaments and embroidery techniques, says Halyna Yasentiuk. For example, in the Hutsul region, embroidery was taught on a black background. As they said craftswomen, the black color reflected bad thoughts. Each embroidered symbol had its own meaning. Location, colors, ornament – everything was thought out to the smallest detail. Each Ukrainian region has its own ornaments and embroidery techniques Northern regions In the northern regions, mystkini preferred both geometric ornament and vegetable. Grapes were depicted on the shirts, a symbol of the family; viburnum, which personified Ukrainian spirituality. Later, they began to embroider hops, which celebrated young energy and love. The colors used were mainly black and red. Geometric figures were responsible for the function of amulets in embroidery. On embroidered shirts with Sumy regions also depicted birds (eagles, swans, or doves).In Poltava regions, they are embroidered with white threads on white fabric. In 2017-2018, the white-on-white embroidery technology from Poltava Oblast was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and this year it can add to the list of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. People associate it with the beauty of frosty patterns, which artists looked at when they created this embroidery technology. Embroidery with white threads on white fabric is characteristic of the Poltava region. Read also: 16 years of collecting plastic lids: an artist from Volyn decorated a house with colorful embroidery Southern Ukraine and AR Crimea Embroidery in Crimea was significantly different from the rest. Ukrainian culture was intertwined with the heritage of the Turkic peoples. Crimean shirts are also distinguished by the contrast of colors. They were dominated by floral motifs, where each flower had a special meaning. They were selected according to age and gender: roses for young girls, tulips for boys, and carnations were embroidered on clothes for the elderly. In other northern regions, plant motifs also prevailed, but they were intertwined with geometric ornament. A prominent feature of the embroidered clothes from Odesa is the puff – it is a gathered fabric on the sleeve, located below the shoulder, which adds magnificence and volume. Embroidery characteristic of the Odesa region. Photo: Bolekhov Museum of History named after Roman Skvoria Eastern regions The embroidery from Luhansk region and Donetsk region depicted lush flowers and trees, which were a symbol of life. Shirts were decorated with netting, coarse threads were used to add texture. Birds were depicted on wedding towels, as a symbol of fabulousness and charm. Mystkini combined contrasting bright colors and various embroidery techniques, although most often they worked in the technique of crosses. Lush flowers and trees were depicted on embroidery from Luhansk region and Donetsk region. Photo: Bolekhov Museum of History named after Roman Skvoria Western Ukraine Vyshyvankas from the western regions were characterized by dense and lush embroidery. In Transcarpathia, up to ten colors could be combined in one shirt. The main shapes are a rhombus, which was decorated with other elements, and the so-called curves (zigzag). Ternopil embroidery is characterized by lush and ornamented sleeves. The patterns are clear, contrasting and with three-dimensional elements. There are the same elements in Bukovina. Geometric ornament is also combined here with bright and large flowers. Despite the floweriness, mostly in the region one color is used for embroidery: black, red, blue or white. They even used silver and gold threads, beads, silk, wool, and metal sequins. In the Lviv region, embroidery is mainly made with a cross and a stitch pattern, reminiscent of fine lace. A fine web of black flowers combined with red, yellow, green and blue. Vyshyvanka from the western regions were characterized by dense and lush embroidery. Photo: National Center of Folk Culture “Ivan Honchar Museum” Read also: How women in Ukrainian embroidered dresses would look in the paintings of world-famous artists. PHOTO Vyshyvanka with biraktars Now there is more and more machine embroidery with various patterns that are not similar to the symbols of ancient Ukrainian embroidery. However, according to Mrs. Halyna Yacentyuk, the most important thing is the attraction of a person to wear an embroidered shirt, and not what is depicted on it. “It is necessary to understand that embroidered shirts are a very large and large-scale concept today. It is important not to confuse the meanings when we talk about artistic value. We evaluate embroidered shirts, let’s say, by quality. But when we talk about identity and ideology, then the main value is that we, as a society, have matured to wear and accept a Ukrainian embroidered shirt. I will say more, at one time we handed over shirts to Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia and to Ukrainian military personnel who are fighting. And the main thing was that they receive an embroidered shirt It didn’t matter whether it was hand or machine embroidery,” says Lesya Voroniuk. Green embroidered shirts with bairaktars and airplanes are also becoming more and more popular, emphasizes Halyna Yacentyuk. “A green vyshyvanka encourages action. Actions must be defended. I had two military men from Sumy Oblast who bought green vyshyvankas. They are green because they serve, but they still want vyshyvankas and holidays,” she says. Vyshyvanka changes along with society, says artist Hrystyna Duh-Zafiyovska. “Embroidery has always developed. Fabrics and threads changed, new techniques appeared, which shaped the style. Even within 20 years, embroidery could change in one region,” she emphasizes. Ukrainians reflect what is happening to them through symbols and sacred things. Everything that is felt, transferred or visualized primarily on embroidered shirts, towels and Easter Easter eggs. “Embroidery is a practical garment, first of all it had to be practical and beautiful. Ornaments were formed by people, this should be remembered. They were influenced by the environment, nature, people, climate. In the Soviet Union, for example, mystkin hid tridents, colors, Ukrainian symbols in their embroideries,” emphasizes Khrystyna Duh-Zafiivska. According to mystkin, modern embroidery with images of planes and tanks will not become symbolic and will not be preserved in the history of Ukrainian embroidery . However, today it exists because it is important for Ukrainians and preserves the memory of what we experienced. Embroidered ornament with drone “Bayraktar”. Photo: “Suspilne” Why Vyshyvanka Day is not a public holiday “We tried to make it so,” shares the co-founder of World Vyshyvanka Day. However, a few years ago, the initiative was not supported at the state level. Now Lesya Voroniuk believes that this is for the best. According to her, the official holiday obliges, and the folk one calls people to feel and love it. Lesya Volonyuk in an embroidered dress. Photo from her Facebook “In private companies, a corporate culture has appeared: to wear an embroidered shirt on this day. And it is not necessary for them. These are not even state institutions of education or culture, or administration, when it is necessary and everything. Businesses are invited us to various lectures to talk about embroidered shirts sometime before the holiday. I have two or three meetings with such groups every day. I think this is just a great example of how civil society works,” concludes Lesya Voronyuk. Anastasia Koropetska, specially for UP. Life Read also: What do you know about Ukrainian embroidered women and their history? TEST

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