The color of vyshyvanka

This number of participants joined The 5th All-Ukrainian Festival of National Embroidery and Costumes.

THE TALISMAN

“An embroidered shirt serves not just as a piece of clothing, it also serves as protection,” organizer and initiator of the festival Yevhenii Fil is convinced. For Ukrainians vyshyvanka has always been a talisman, that is, a garment that possesses magical power. And in the ancient times, the task of embroidery was given to mothers or brides not without a reason. A mother put the protective energy into the design. A bride’s vyshyvanka is almost as dear as a mother’s one. A girl may not even know who she embroiders the shirt for, but while she is working on it, she dreams of a kind of a man she would like to wed: a hard-working and handsome one. And she puts all of her dreams and wishes in this embroidery. “During the five years of the festival’s existence, the youth got accustomed to embroidery,” Fil notes. “Now we have another purpose, we want to bring back the tradition of every family embroidering shirts for themselves. The best vyshyvanka is the one made by a family member. I think that our culture, our traditions and customs, vyshyvanka in particular, should be protected on the legislative level.”

STYLISH

“Jeans and a girdled vyshyvanka – that is how a lot of young people dress today. I wear such attire on the stage,” says Eduard ROMANIUTA, young singer from Ternopil. “I came to ‘Tsvit Vyshyvanky’ to find stylish clothes for performances. Wearing embroidered shirts became popular among singers. This is how our main problem is solved – the uniqueness of the costume and recognizability.” “Embroidered accessories look authentic, match any clothing style, and are fit to wear at any age,” Ternopil dweller Larysa FEDONIUK joins the conversation. “My mother bought embroidered items for me, as I do for my children; my husband does not mind wearing embroidered clothes too. I like when the elements of embroidery are used in modern designer clothes. I advise you to consider getting a vyshyvanka for yourself, they never go out of fashion.”

UKRAINIAN BRAND

“This is linen, but 10 percent of viscose is added to both linen and cotton. The dress and the jacket are sold separately. An automatic washing machine, a detergent for colors, and you will always look your best in your beautiful embroidered clothes,” Maria RYPA advertises her wares. “The linen is machine-made, and then comes the handicraft with a crochet. The price varies from one to two thousand hryvnias. Since we are still in a crisis, I hope I will sell at least something,” adds Rypa in a more quiet tone. “I live in Kyiv, I have been selling handcrafted items for years, everybody knows me. I was invited to sell my goods on Khreshchatyk during Euro-2012. But the rent is so high... There is no guarantee I will get the money back,” Rypa shares the specifics of the Ukrainian brand sale. By the way, the craftswomen at the festival did not omit the football theme. T-shirts embroidered with Euro-2012 symbols were sold for at least 400 hryvnias. They say the demand is good.

“We actively export vyshyvanka, our Ukrainian brand, abroad. Thanks to our fellow citizen who work in other countries, the market is expanding,” the crafters mention during our conversation. And the foreigners also order vyshyvankas via social networks. The embroidery ideology wins more and more followers.