pysanka.ukrainianinstitute.orgPysanka – A Symbol of Hope

Pysanky The Installation Curator’s Vision Media & Visitors Workshops Journey to Ukraine Donate a Pysanka Menu About Pysanky The Installation Curator’s Vision Media & Visitors Workshops Journey to Ukraine Donate a Pysanka ABOUT PYSANKY Thousands of years ago, the agrarian people living in the area now known as Ukraine depended on the Sun for survival. It gave them light, warmed them and made their crops grow They came to venerate the Sun as one of their most important gods and created rituals to honor this deity. In this pagan era, spring rituals celebrated the return of the Sun after a long dark winter and the humble egg played a central role in this celebration. Created using the batik wax-resistance technique, the Ukrainian Easter egg or pysanka (from the word pysaty” or to write”) was believed to possess enormous power. For the ancients, holding a pysanka in one’s hand was a way of harnessing the power of the sun. The whole egg represented the rebirth of nature, while the yolk alone was the symbol of the all powerful Sun god. Pysanky were revered as talismans; they protected the family against evil, disease and fire. People believed that through patterns on the egg shell they could send messages of tributes and entreaties to the pagan gods. When Ukraine accepted Christianity in the 10th century AD, many aspects of paganism were incorporated into the new religion. The pysanka transitioned from a spring ritual to a celebration of Easter. THE INSTALLATION An ancient Ukrainian legend of good versus evil The inhabitants of the Carpathian Mountains in Western Ukraine believed that the fate of the world depended on the pysanka- the Ukrainian Easter egg. Each year, an evil monster — chained to a mountain cliff — sent his henchmen to see how many pysanky (plural for pysanka) were created in the land. If the number was high, the henchmen returned and tightened the monster’s chains. If the pysanka creating tradition subsided, the monster’s chains were loosened and he was free to wander the earth causing destruction. Together with the Ukrainian Institute of America (UIA) and the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations (WFUWO), ethnographer and artist Sofika Zielyk has conceived a communal and participatory exhibition of Ukrainian Easter eggs. This initiative encourages people of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages, including children, to enrich a living installation of pysanky by contributing their own egg, hand decorated with traditional Ukrainian techniques and motifs. This installation is an ongoing, living, and evolving endeavor. As pysanky continue to arrive and their numbers increase, so will the symbolic power of the installation grow. True to its symbolic meaning of rebirth, these pysanky will return to their ancestral homeland of Ukraine as it rises from the ashes of war. Read more about their Journey to Ukraine . Ultimately, good will prevail over evil. ORIGINS OF THE PYSANKY This installation is an ongoing, living, and evolving endeavor. As more pysanky arrive — in person and by mail from all over the world — the installation grows in size and symbolic power. 0 Countries 0 US States 0 + Pysanky THE STORIES PYSANKY T ELL CURATOR’S VISION The essence of this project is to show the world, to show ourselves and to show the aggressor, that we have been here all along. We remain here and we will always be here.” As an ethnographer and folk artist, I practice cultural diplomacy through the creation of Ukrainian Easter eggs or pysanky (singular: pysanka). Making pysanky is a deep-rooted tradition incorporating an ancient technique that began on the territory of present-day Ukraine thousands of years ago. Originally, it was a pre-Christian spring ritual. Eggs, decorated with symbolic motifs, were believed to hasten the return of the sun god and encourage the rebirth of nature after a long winter. The ongoing tradition of making pysanky served to reassure people that their world would continue to exist, if they didn’t stop decorating eggs. According to folk legend, a monster, who is the embodiment of evil, lives chained to a mountainside. If the adornment of eggs ceases, the monster will break his chains, escape from his cave, and destroy the world. With the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the pysanka tradition became my weapon of choice against this evil. Using my social media platform, I asked people of all ages, all backgrounds, artists and non-artists, Ukrainians, and non-Ukrainians alike, to create a pysanka decorated with traditional motifs and technique and send it to the Ukrainian Institute of America, where it would to be added to a collective display/installation – a community action. This initiative quickly became a defiant response to the aggressor, a response to those who are determined to destroy the people and culture of Ukraine. This installation is not static; it constantly evolves and expands as more and more eggs are received and added to the exhibit. Within the physical framework of this installation, pysanky are placed laid out arbitrarily, on a rough woven burlap cloth which covers a large wooden stand, evoking its affinity with the earth. In Ukrainian mythology, earth-soil is highly symbolic, as evidenced by an old saying to wish someone good fortune: Be healthy as water and rich as the earth.” The deliberately random placement of these pysanky means that no particular artist-participant or specific egg is highlighted. It simply shows strength in numbers — a primeval, cultural strength. A rushnyk (ritual cloth) decorates one section of the exhibit. The rushnyk is a talisman, a protector against evil. Other traditional elements from Ukrainian mythology also embellish this installation. Barvinok (periwinkle), which is always green, appears as a symbol of everlasting life. Kalyna (guelder rose), with its deep red berries, represents beauty and is the unofficial symbol of Ukraine. Pshenytsya (wheat stalk) denotes Ukraine as the breadbasket of Europe. A candle wrapped in red ribbon is included to honor all the souls, military and civilian, that perished during this time of war. The color red in Ukrainian mythology serves as protection for these souls from evil. Ultimately, the assembly of mythologic and symbolic elements create a unified talisman, a powerful force for imminent rebirth; for everything to exist, for everything to be good. Kalyna (guilder rose), pshenytsya (wheat) and barvinok (periwinkle) The final phase of The Pysanka: A Symbol of Hope this cooperative and inspirational project, will include bringing all the decorated eggs to Ukraine — a return home, as it were. There they will be incorporated into the same ancient rituals as practiced by our ancestors. Egg shell fragments will be mixed in with animal feed for healthier livestock, buried in the ground for bountiful harvest, placed in the four corners of new homes being constructed as protection again evil. Pysanky will be placed on graves of children murdered during the war, to provide them something to play with in the afterlife. The energy and power of the collective creation of the of pysanky will be the legitimization of our story and will force the monster to remain forever chained in his cave and unable to wreak havoc on the world. In collaboration with the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations and the Ukrainian Institute of America, the intent of this cultural initiative is to confirm directly to Ukrainians that they have our undying support and to let them know that they are never alone. The power of these eggs, these pysanky, will serve as a foundation in their efforts to achieve victory in the war and to rebuild their country and nation. Sofika Zielyk Curator, "The Pysanka: A Symbol of Hope" Artist and ethnographer Sofika Zielyk, a native New Yorker, holds a degree in Art History from New York University. She started making pysanky and ceramics when she was six, having learned the basics of these traditional Ukrainian art forms...