UKRAINIAN EASTER GREETING CARDS by Lubow Wolynetz, Curator in the Dec
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SOWER APRIIL 27,, 2014 TThhee UUkkrraaiinniiaann MMuusseeuumm aanndd LLiibbrraarryy ooff SSttaammffoorrdd UKRAINIAN EASTER GREETING CARDS by Lubow Wolynetz, Curator In the Dec. 23, 2012 issue of the est of all events – the Resurrection of Christ. Such lyna Mazepa, 1910-1995, Myron Levytskyi, and ing and setting of the sun (up the hill and down Sower I wrote about holiday postcards in rituals as the following all come from ancient tra- Yaroslava Surmach, 1925-2009, portray this ac- into the valley, as the song goes) would pre- general focusing primarily on Ukrainian ditions incorporated into the Christian holiday: tap- tivity in their own individual artistic styles. Two serve the continuity of life on earth. The artists Christmas greeting cards. In the present ar- ping each other with willow branches on Palm cards produced by Ukrainian POW’s in Rimini, Petro Andrusiv and Edvard Kozak produced ticle I will discuss the timely subject of our Sunday; baking of special breads – the paskaand Italy illustrate the pysanka gift giving. In the card cards illustrating these rituals. Ukrainian Easter greeting cards. the babka; decorating Easter eggs (Pysanka) with by S. Yatsushko a maiden is depicted as shyly giv- The tradition of drenching each other with Until recent years, sending greeting cards ancient symbols; performing ritual spring songs ing a pysankato a young Cossack, not being sure water on Easter Monday is now a merry pas- for such major holidays as Christmas and if he would accept it. In a card by O. Os- time, especially among the young. Originally Easter was a standard phenomenon. But trovsky the artist shows us in a humorous it was a form of purification, the rebirth of a lately, the tradition of sending Easter greet- way the young man holding a huge new, healthy life. Water has always been con- ings has declined somewhat. Cards for this pysankahe has just received. Yet in another sidered to be the most important purifying el- card, by the artist Myron Levytsky, which ement. Cards by Myron Levytsky and was printed in Austria in 1946, we see the Mykola Butovych, 1895-1961, illustrate this recipient tradition. of a huge A world renowned Ukrainian artist, pysanka Jacques Hnizdovsky, 1915-1985, man- in need of aged to combine and illustrate all of these help to Easter rituals and traditions into just one carry it. card. This card included pysanka writ- The ing, baking of Easter breads, gathering of artist V. willow branches, going to church, bless- and dances on Easter Sunday – the hahilky; pour- Zalutsky in his ing of the baskets, performing Easter ing water on each other on Easter Monday; and card acquaints us dances, and ending with the drenching many more. The numerous Ukrainian artists who with the prepara- on Easter Monday. created Easter cards endeavored to incorporate tion of Easter Ukrainian greeting cards produced many of these traditions and to depict them in their foods. In a fes- before the war in Western Ukraine and works. tively adorned by the Ukrainian Diaspora contain and Our Museum and Library has a fine collection home the mother transmit not only valuable information of Easter cards. I chose three cards depicting the is placing the but also serve as educational tools and in Resurrected Christ by three different artists: final decorative many ways help to preserve visually Mykhailo Dmytrenko, 1908-1997; Myron touches on the certain aspects of our heritage. We must holiday are becoming rare, harder to find, Levytsky, 1913- 1993; and Edvard Kozak, 1902- Easter bread and is instructing her young daugh- look carefully at the detailed work which each and as a result have become important col- 1992. The first two are traditional iconographic ter in this ritual. In the card by the artist Petro An- of the artists included in his/her cards and we lector’s items. depictions of Christ; the third one, the Resurrected drusiv, 1906-1981, a family is shown going to will become enriched, inspired, and proud of In general, and Ukrainian holiday greet- Christ, appears or visits soldiers of the Ukrainian church with their Easter basket. The card has ad- the rich culture of which we are the inheritors. ing cards in particular provide not only re- Insurgent Army in their hideaway in the forest. ditional items associated with Easter: willow ligious and well-wishing sentiments, but This latter card was produced in the Displaced Per- branches, pysanky, and embroidered cloths used also they have valuable informative content son’s camps in Germany at the time when the to cover the baskets. The artist Yaroslava Surmach and often are considered to be significant army was still actively engaged in fighting the So- in her glass painting depicts the blessing of Easter works of art. Noted Ukrainian artists con- viet invaders. baskets in front of the church. sider it important to have among their artis- We also have vintage cards produced in Lviv in A favorite pastime for young boys on Easter tic output the production of holiday greeting the late 1920s. A card by the artist Olena Kulchyt- Sunday was to go to the church bell tower and cards. Most of these cards transmit an abun- ska, 1877-1967, depicts a crowd of folk people take turns ringing the bells. In Ukrainian villages dance of information about the religious as- (Hutsul region) standing by the church during the the church bells would peal for hours on Easter pect of the holiday, as well as the age-old Resurrection Liturgy. Another, by an unknown Sunday. A card by an unknown artist and one by traditions associated with it. Thus, the re- artist, shows Resurrected Jesus Christ appearing Edvard Kozak illustrate this activity. cepients of such cards are reminded of, and to a kneeling crowd of folk people. This card also Following Easter Liturgy, the blessing of the bas- often experience the awakening of memo- has a border of embroidery designs and pysanky. kets, and Easter breakfast, young girls would come ries or the rediscovering of the many fea- A few weeks prior to Easter, young girls would out on the church green and perform spring dances tures which the holiday encompasses from spend many hours decorating pysanky(which in -- hahilky. These dances and songs currently per- the Ukrainian perspective. Ukrainian we say “writingpysanky”) because, ac- formed as joyful holiday expressions formerly had Ukrainian Easter traditions are rich and cording to belief, the symbols applied to the egg a magical purpose. People believed that through deeply symbolic in their content. Many of were actually coded messages which contained the magic of music, words, gestures, and bodily the ancient, pre-Christian rituals celebrating wishes for good fortune, health, prosperity, motion, one could awaken nature in the spring. the coming of spring and the resurrection of longevity, etc. Pysankywere given as gifts to fam- By simulating sowing, planting and the growth of nature became part of the Christian Easter ily members, friends, and especially by girls to crops one could ensure a bountiful harvest. By cycle of celebrations which led to the holi- young men whom they admired. The artists Ha- walking in a continuous chain simulating the ris- EExxpplloorre aanndd EExxperriieencee Ouurr PPaasstt.