Stand with Ukraine - Mamayeva Sloboda

Tucked in a park amongst high rise residences is the open-air Cossack village known as Mamayeva Sloboda. Made up of wooden houses, a church and other buildings, the village depicts rural life.

The park often hosts dances and festivals and the traditionally dressed guides tell stories of the buildings and the Cossacks’ way of life. Cooks of traditional dishes, weavers and blacksmiths demonstrate their specialty, whilst others may re-enact Cossack fighting techniques.

Rural and folk traditions are an important part of Ukrainian culture. It is a way to carve their own distinctiveness from the many similarities they share with their neighbours. They are evident through their folk costumes, traditional dances and songs, hearty dishes and especially their exquisite embroideries.

Ukraine’s embroidery history is more than 2,000 years old; appearing in folk dress, embroidered shirts known as vyshyvanka, weddings, and other celebrations. Each design, the colour used, and type of stitch applied reflects the region it originated from.

Traditional belief is that a person wearing a vyshyvanka will be protected from all harm. That is because the ornaments embroidered on the shirt are like a coded pattern, where some may bring prosperity and others protection or luck. A disorganised set of patterns may bring distress or change of one’s fate.

The designs are characterised by their region. For instance, flowers and plants prevail in the south and east of Ukraine. They symbolise purity, renewal, and family prosperity. Whereas geometric patterns are reflected in the west of Ukraine symbolising the beauty of nature, fertility, and well-being. Used less often are animal patterns and although not depicted on clothes, they are found on embroidered towels. A wedding towel, for example, may have doves or roosters, facing each other as ornaments.

Celebrated in May, the International Day of Vyshyvanka, is a holiday aiming to preserve “the original folk traditions of creating and wearing ethnic embroidered Ukrainian clothes” and at the same time celebrate the Ukrainian people’s spirit of unity, patriotism, identity, culture, and tradition.