The Revolution is Just a вишиванка Away

May nineteenth seemed like any regular Thursday to me, and why not? I didn't have any particular reason to celebrate....but millions of Ukrainians worldwide did. As with any third Thursday of May, the streets are awash with people wearing their colorful embroidered shirts, the vyshyvanka (вишиванка).  Twenty years ago the streets of Donetsk in the east were not filled with these beautifully designed shirts so that is perhaps why I have no recollection of this day. But it is now 2016 and much has changed in Ukraine especially over the past two years.

So what is a вишиванка? It is a white long sleeved shirt that is woven on a loom and embroidered by hand. It's design speaks much of Ukrainain culture in that it features nature motifs such as flowers, leaves, vines, and the lozenge which symbolizes fertility. It also has many spiritual and superstitious connections as the symbols are located in vulnerable places such as the sleeves, neck, bosom, and cuffs. The motifs were placed there to ward off evil spirits and death. An interesting story can be found here: http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/05/21/legend-of-the-vyshyvanka-traditional-ukrainian-embroidered-shirt/. The вишиванка is not restricted to shirts either as the designs can be embroidered on dresses, aprons, pants, and sheets. You can also determine where a вишиванка was made as each region has its own design.

But what gives at gives this unofficial holiday its edge is the current political situation in the East. Ever since the EuroMaidan protests followed by the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, patriotism has been growing. Add to this the earlier Soviet suppression of Ukrainian embroidery during Stalin's drive for Russification, and you have a tailor-made political holiday. The вишиванка took center stage in the trial of political prisioner Nadiya Savchenko when she donned her white on white shirt (Poltava region, I believe). This small act was a thumb in the eye of the Russian government who wanted to make an example of her. (http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/01/23/nadiya-savchenko-the-pow-that-became-ukraines-poster-girl-for-independence/)

So next year, on the third Thursday of May, be sure to don your вишиванка and look towards Ukraine. To (mis)quote Billy Bragg, "...join the struggle while you may, the Revolution is just a вишиванка away!"

Remembering to Forget Victory Day

Sorry for the long wait. I have been having computer problems so I could not post for some time. I'm hoping this will make up for it.  Read on!

Twenty years ago, when I was first a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine, May 9^th meant nothing to me. Only after a friend came up to me later that day, breathlessly describing how she and her friends had cheered, yelled, and threw flowers at the veterans, did I realize I missed an important Ukrainian holiday. Victory Day (День Перемоги) celebrates the Allied Victory over the Nazi’s in World War Two, or as Ukrainians called it, The Great Patriotic War (In Russian: Великая Отечественная Война). As with many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine has forever been surrounded by belligerents on both sides, usually Germany and Russia/USSR. Therefore, when hostilities broke out, Ukraine frequently became the prime battleground as wars ebbed and flowed in either direction. In the case of World War II, when the Germans initiated Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the initial hope of some Ukrainians that the conquering Nazis would soon offer Ukrainian independence was quickly and harshly dashed. Throughout the course of the war, Ukraine was devastated as cities and towns were scorched not only by the Nazis but by retreating Soviets as well. When the war finally ended, as many as eight million Ukrainians lay dead (5.5 million civilian and 2.5 million military), according to some accounts. Anyway you slice it, Ukrainians suffered tremendously under the Nazis and the Soviets. For this reason, May 9^th has always been a day of remembrance, a potent mix of joy and sadness. That I missed the parade twice when I was first in Ukraine, made me determined to celebrate the holiday this time around. With more veterans dying every year, soon these days may be a memory.

But times have changed and so has this important holiday. As Ukraine is embroiled in another war, May 9^th has taken on a new significance. There are now pointed connections made between the Great Patriotic War and the war simmering in Donbas. The name of the holiday has also changed from Victory Day to Victory over Nazism in World War II (День перемоги над нацизмом у Друній світовій віній). In fact, the term “Great Patriotic War” was removed from Ukrainian legislation altogether and replaced with the term World War II. Due to recent legislation, as of 15 May 2015, Communist and Nazi symbols are no longer allowed in Ukraine. Instead of the Hammer and Sickle flags and the Ribbon of St. George (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribbon_of_Saint_George)and other Soviet symbols, Ukrainians now wear a red poppy. (http://uatoday.tv/society/ukraine-celebrates-daly-of-victory-over-nazism-in-world-war-ii-645162.html)

So how have these changes affected the citizens of Ukraine? From new reports and my own observation, feelings seem to be mixed. Many of the older citizens, especially veterans, do not want to forget the Soviet Red Army who saved them from Nazi aggression. How can people turn their backs on history and forget how this country was saved by German domination by the Communist Party and the USSR despite some other unpleasant history? There are many others who see it differently. Ukraine was forcibly taken over by the Soviet Union, and then by Germany, followed by a return of the USSR. What is there to celebrate?  So it may take many years and the deaths of the last veterans to finally dictate the future of this holiday. It seems to reason it will also take a definitive answer to the war in Donbas as well. Perhaps the victory of 1945 will be superseded by a new victory and a united nation in the coming years.

But what is still important is for people to remember loved ones. That is why citizens still were leaving flowers by the tank monument in Victory Square. They also walked up the hill to lay more flowers and listen to the bands playing at the Eternal Glory Memorial. Everywhere you could see the remaining veterans, smartly dressed in uniform with chests full of medals. For those who were no longer alive, loved ones carried pictures. What astonished and heartened me the most was the respect shown both the living and the dead. Citizens would walk up to soldiers and ask to take a photo or went up to a widow to offer condolences. And I guess that was the message of the day in Zhytomyr. Remember and respect those who came before even though time and old ideals have passed. I think there is a lesson here for all countries dealing with their pasts.

 Living Memory

 Non-Forgotten Soldier

Tanks for the Memories

Pictures from the Past

Victory Column

Not Your Average Easter Egg

Писанки (Pysanky) are not your typical Easter egg. In America we often dye our eggs one or two colors (perhaps more) and go hide them somewhere. But писанки are not just dyed, they are written on (писати) using beeswax and simple wooden and metal tools. The designs on these eggs are not random, rather they are deeply rooted in Ukrainian culture and tradition. For example you will see designs of nature such as birds, trees, along with modern Christian symbols. There is also a sun-type design which originally represented Дажбог (Dazhboh) a Slavic sun god. The colors also represent many different things such as the moon/stars/harvest (Yellow); purity and virginity (White); and new life (Green). There are also many superstitions such as the maze-like designs that are said to trap evil spirits. But like in Western culture, eggs are seen as a sign of rebirth and as an official beginning of spring. Писанки are given as gifts and it's always good luck and good form to give some to your local priest on Easter morning. So powerful was the писанки to Ukrainian culture that it was banned by the Soviet authorities as a religious ritual. As with some many things since independence in 1991, the art of писанки is making a slow but strong comeback. A spiritual and national rebirth, indeed! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanka) (http://learnpysanky.com/supplies.html)

How are писанки made? It takes eggs, beeswax, candles, a special stylus and lots of patience. I have tried to make писанки on two separate occasions. For me it was in exercise in concentration and language as I had to use my nascent Ukrainian skills to find out what was going on. In a nutshell, you gather wax from a melting candle and apply it to the egg. I saw some people drawing their designs but others skipped this part and began applying the wax. To get the wax from the candle to the egg you need to use a special stylus called a кістка. Holding the кістка carefully in one hand you must scoop the wax into the tiny funnel and hold the funnel over the candle. As the wax melts in the funnel it drips out the other end. As you work you learn how much wax to melt and how to guide the кістка over the egg. When you are finished with your first design you bring your egg to the jars where they are dunked in dye. The idea is to build up several layers of designs and several layers of colors. Every thing which is covered in wax will not receive the dye. So this is a process that can continue as you build your artistic masterpiece. Whenever you are finished you burn the wax off by holding the candle to the flame. You then polish your писанки and varnish it with a coating of egg yolk.

While I was not very adept at making писанки I was many people who were. This is a real art form that speaks almost as much about culture as it does about religion. Perhaps next year I will make an every bigger artistic statement!

 Notice the кістка in the right hand.

 Teacher in action.

 Dyes and other tools of the trade.

 Language teacher explaining the steps.

Completed писанка

Easter Is Upon Us!

Last week, Orthodox Easter (Пасха) came to Ukraine. While I was here for celebrations twenty years ago, I don't quite remember getting so involved in the occasion. I think an important reason for this was that I was located in Donetsk which still had a very Soviet feel. There were churches but not as prominent as in other parts of the country. So the whole holiday sort of passed me by. But this time, things were different. I made a conscious effort to participate in the Easter festivities. 

As the holiday approaches you can feel the excitement in the air. Special Easter cakes (paska/паска: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paska_(bread)) appear in the markets and people begin to make the traditional easter eggs (pysanka/писанка) Then comes Thursday which sets the church services in motion. Known as Чистий Четверг (Clean Thursday), this is the day you clean your house...and your soul. People head to church after work where a mass seems to continually be in session. You enter, buy a candle (or use your own), and then ask a fellow worshiper for a light. I was unsure of the protocol so I asked for a light, listened to my prayers, and then blew out my candle in unison with the rest of the church. This process was repeated twice before I decided to head back home. While I did not attempt this, you are supposed to keep your candle lit as you go home. If the candle remains lit the whole way, you will have a good year and your soul will now be clean. I wondered how this could be done if the particular Thursday happens to be windy or rainy. I was told to bring a lighter. Hmmmm.....

Saturday is a bustle of activity as people rush to the market to buy last minute provisions. The line then seems to be drawn between the die-hard worshipers and the casual/less hard-core worshipers. If you are a die-hard, you go to the church all night and stay until morning to see the sun come up. I believe there are prayers and perhaps some solemn marching around the church. (Need to check on this as I have received some conflicting information) If you are still somewhat hard-core you arrive at the church at four o'clock and wait for the sun to come up. I am neither and I am locked in the dorm at night so I did not venture out. But I did go to the church on Saturday evening. Much like the all-night/early morning crowd, people show up to get their baskets blessed by the priest. In your basket you place any food that you want blessed. Unlike Catholic Easter, there are no bunnies and baskets are not filled with candy (well, not much anyway). Looking at the people lined up around the church, I saw everything from sausage, to chicken, to fruits and vegetables, cakes, etc. Apparently, people wait in line while the priest comes by with a bucket of water and a sponge-like device on a stick. After their food is blessed, the people quickly leave to be replaced by another group. I'm not sure how long this lasts but wave after wave of worshipers kept coming to the church Saturday evening. 

So what exactly happens on Easter Sunday (or Великий День/Great Day) depends on the family. Many people will go to church and stay for a little while...or hours on end. Most people take their blessed baskets and eat the food the next morning. About that time горілка (vodka) also makes an appearance. I believe many people use this as a day to be with family, enjoy the renewal of spring, and enjoy a nice drink. And you can finally eat your паска. I was told to do things properly you can't eat your special Easter bread until Sunday morning. And I was good...kind of....I did try the frosting. 

 Lining Up the Baskets/Shielding the Flame

 Blessing in Progress

 The Faithful Bow Their Heads

 Patiently Waiting

 Keeper of the Flame

 Pow! Right in the Kisser

Baskets at the Ready