From a family trunk to a museum

Kharkiv restorer and designer Yurii Derevianko has been searching for and collecting rare old items of Ukrainian household and clothing for about 40 years now. He gives most of the collected artifacts as gifts to museums. But even with only a part of his collection his studio looks like a small ethnic museum.

BUY TO GIVE AWAY AS A PRESENT…

Yurii Derevianko goes to the farthest parts of Ukraine both on business and as a hunter. Everywhere he is in search of material traces of Ukrainian culture and traditions. He proudly shows his recent acquisition – authentic Krolevets towels, hempen carpet, and linen dress with embroidered talisman, which he found this summer in Hadiach. People often purchase ethnic rarities and unique artifacts, as well as household items for personal use or sale. Derevianko gives his findings to museums keeping a photo of these items for himself. Many items from his collection are now stored in Kharkiv Historical and Art Museums and also in the Museum of the Vorontsov Palace, Crimea. Besides, the designer studies and describes the symbols in red-and-white ornaments of the famous towels, holds lectures and exhibitions, publishes articles and participates in ethnic exhibitions. “Old Ukrainians hanged towels over windows, icons, and the entrance to a house because they were believed to have properties of a talisman for the home and family, symbolized wishes of happiness and prosperity, and were used for the rituals of matchmaking or funeral. The embroideries have their own complex system of signs!” explained the amateur art critic. “These embroidered flowers symbolize eternity and good health. Here is a tree of life. There are also towels with monograms, proverbs, and jokes.” Once Derevianko found a towel that had been thrown out and all dirty with the phrase “Remember me, young man” and running horses embroidered on it. He believes that the embroidery was done by a young girl who had to part with her loved one when he left for war. Royal eagles that miraculously survived the revolution and war are a characteristic symbol of red and white embroidery of Krolevets towels. They can help determine the time of the creation of certain item: every epoch had its own eagle – one of the five found by the collector.

“How can you evaluate an embroidered towel? You can get one at a flee market for 50, 100 and 200 hryvnias. But, in fact, a towel is, literally, priceless. To sell one is like selling your soul!” ethnographer joked seriously. The collector also searches for and studies ducats – national jewelry of Ukrainian women and young girls with the image of their patron Praskevia engraved on them. According to Derevianko this shows the connection between paganism and Christianity in the beliefs of the Ukrainian people.

Now the findings of Derevianko are on display in the exhibition of national costumes “Ethnorevolution,” which takes place in Kharkiv.

“IT HURTS TO SEE THAT IT’S ALL IS DISAPPEARING…”

Derevianko remembers that he began to collect the Ukrainian household items in 1974. The first artifacts were the embroidered towels left from his grandmother, who was born in the village in Odesa region. She made Easter eggs, embroidered towels, and hand-made carpets. “Later in many museums I came across items made the way my grandmother did them,” said Derevianko. “Thanks to her I started to pay attention to items of Ukrainian household. At first I collected only embroidered towels. When I already had about four dozens of them, I gave the collection to the Historical Museum. Then I began to look for old folk stuff at markets and street markets.”

The artist believes that everyday objects and artifacts preserve historical memory of the people and even their soul. “It hurts to see that it’s all is disappearing,” Derevianko explained his passion for collecting old Ukrainian household items and clothing. “Today many Ukrainian villages are vanishing. I often pass by abandoned villages and see, for example, that an old spinning wheel stands in the cold near a ruined hut. I managed to restore one spinning wheel, but where should I take the others? And those pots and mugs – they are the traces of our culture! I take to museums what I can. However, many things get destroyed. Rare adobe huts made of clay and straw that saved Ukrainian people in really bad frosts, during the famine and war go to ruin.” Derevianko, as a professional designer, believes that the technique of towel embroidering was a prototype of today’s technology of… digital images. “Just have a look, it definitely looks like pixels!” he pointed to cells of a pattern from the 18th century embroidered on a towel. “The modern idea of image transmission was known in old times!”

After many years of studying ethnic artifacts Derevianko has gathered a lot of information about the features of the Ukrainian culture. That’s why art critics, scholars, and students often come to visit him: they make sketches, take pictures, and study embroidery technique.

GOING BACK TO ONE’S ROOTS THROUGH ART

Many devotees of old culture from Kharkiv are engaged in hard work for preserving historical memory of Ukraine. About a dozen of local private collectors provided their artifacts for the exhibition “Ethnorevolution.” The team of Muravsky Shliakh, who presented several old national costumes, organize their own expeditions looking for traditional clothing, old songs, traditions, rare rituals and even dances. Besides, ten members of the team participate in concerts and also engage in educational work. “This is a comprehensive reflection of the popular culture of Sloboda Ukraine. We sing local songs in a special manner wearing authentic attire,” said the head of the group Halyna Lukianets. “Every one of us got this passion not by a chance. For the most part, it is our roots – family from villages. There are collections that have been kept for a long time in some families, had been passed on from grandmothers and great grandmothers, and survived the difficult years of the Holodomor and war. It is hard to determine the exact age of all the items, most of them date back to the late 19th – early 20th century. My grandmother was a dressmaster, she made plakhtas (old Ukrainian skirts) and I know the time when these items were made.” Soon Muravsky Shliakh will celebrate its 30th anniversary. Halyna Lukianets noted that lately the interest in folk costumes and the activity of the group has increased. Recently the group was invited to participate at an ethnic wedding party. However, if before the performance of the group was perceived rather as “exotic folk,” this time the performance of the group was made an integral part of the festivities along with use of folk wedding rituals. “It became fashionable, in a good sense of the word, to respect Ukrainian traditions,” said the head of the group Muravsky Shliakh.