Experience Ukraine: Easter-themed event

Join this Easter-themed event to experience Ukrainian tradition of the ancient craft of pysanky. A special feature of this event will be a photoshoot in vyshyvankas (a traditional Ukrainian garment).

Activities:

– a masterclass in pysanky;
– a photoshoot by a professional photographer in Ukrainian folk costume;
– short films and music from Ukraine;
– tea and coffee with pastries and cakes;
– souvenirs and crafts on sale.

Easter egg, pysanka, is one of the most interesting expressions of Ukrainian folk art. This tradition is very old and its beginnings reach back to antiquity, when in attempting to understand creation, ancient people developed myths in which the egg was perceived as the source of life, the sun and the universe. Although such similar myths are found in many cultures of the word, Ukrainians today are one of the few groups of people who still strongly adhere to many of the ancient traditions associated with the egg.

The symbolic ornamentation of the pysanky consists of geometric motifs, with some animal and plant elements. The most important motif is the stylized symbol of the sun, which is seen as a broken cross, triangle, an eight point rosette or a star. Other popular motifs are endless lines, stylized flowers, leaves, the tree of life and also some animal figures such as stags, horses or birds. The most popular method of decorating pysanky is the use of the wax resist method or batik with a specialized instrument called the pysachok.