Breaking through the thorns
Modern Kharkiv, Sumy, Luhansk and a piece of Donetsk regions had a common name - Slobodsk Ukraine or Slobozhanshchyna a few centuries ago. These territories, inhabited by a tribe of northerners during the time of Kievan Rus, received their name in the 17th century, when free Cossacks came here and began to build their own dwellings - slobodas. Of course, Russia did everything possible to push the borders of Slobozhanshchyna as far west as possible (parts of modern Voronezh, Belgorod and Kursk regions are also territories that were once in Slobozhanshchyna), but our eastern "brother" did not manage to create elements of the folk culture of this ethnographic region. The tangible influence of the Hetmanate in the west and the Cossack Zaporizhzhia in the south not only helped Slobozhanshchyna, but also stimulated the development of original features in the culture of the latter.
Industry and capitalist relations of the region were rapidly gaining momentum, which led to the elimination of home production of raw materials and clothing. Of course, in the villages they continued to weave independently, but they also gladly used factory fabrics, which were harmoniously combined in everyday forms of clothing. Of course, in Slobozhanshchyna there are no such powerful traditions of embroidery as, say, in the western regions of the state, but there are also certain interesting features here, and most importantly: in the East, embroidered shirts are respected and worn to this day. Don't believe it? Then read .
When asked what exactly is characteristic of Slobozhansk embroidery, a 75-year-old resident of Poltava region, Honored Master of Folk Art of Ukraine, Grigoriy Grin, gives the answer: "This is embroidery in the "white on white" technique, fawn shades of color, without contrasting black and red, floral and floral-geometric ornament, this is the art of so-called stamping on fabric." This is far from a complete list of characteristic features, most of which echo the traditions of embroidery of the Dnieper region, and, especially, of the Poltava region itself, which developed at a slower pace than Slobozhansk and left a certain place for "classicism."
Swastika as an ornament
The basis of any outfit was (and remains) a shirt. On holidays, they wore a bright, patterned shirt, and in everyday life, they did not shy away from "tucked" (high-quality canvas on top and a rough bottom) shirts. At first, they embroidered only white on white (a symbol of connection with ancestors, white is the color of mourning for the deceased), and only then did more interesting combinations appear, in particular, the combination of red and blue, which is still popular today. "Complete" with embroidery was lace - an openwork technique that added sophistication and elegance to the garment. A characteristic feature of the eastern regions of Ukraine were lace hems, which were supposed to be visible from under the waist garment - plakhty.
As for the ornament, it could be quite diverse and carried a certain coded information, starting from the symbol of fertility - a tree, where the roots are a sign of ancestors, the trunk - modernity, the top - the higher, spiritual world, to the image of freedom - a bird. Another symbol that can be seen quite often on the embroidery of Slobozhanshchyna and the Middle Dnieper region are triangles, which, touching each other with their vertices, symbolize the World and the Anti-World. Sometimes between the triangles there is a line, the so-called "Ring of the Great Illumination", which symbolizes the reflection of the two worlds.
It is impossible not to mention such an element of the Slobozhansky shirt as… the swastika. Yes, now our imagination is ready to make only brightly negative associations, but in ancient times our ancestors defined the swastika as something very bright, sunny. “The swastika was used in the practice of ancient shamans to illuminate the world from dark spirits, that is, by depicting such patterns on clothes, it was assumed that light was being brought into the world. When a woman got married, swastikas were embroidered on her sleeves, directed towards her,” says Vira Osadcha, a Ukrainian scholar in the field of art history and the direct owner of the swastika embroidery. Created using the cutting technique, these signs can be left- (the bend of the cross to the left) and right-sided. Turned counterclockwise, the swastika symbolized a protective flame, clockwise - a sign of the family hearth.
Slobozhansk embroidery: creating uniqueness
Until the end of the 19th century, shirts of the Poltava type were common in the Slobozhanshchyna region. Women's shirts were characterized by the presence of two branches connected at the shoulders - the front and back. Square gussets were sewn under the sleeves, which ended with covers. The machine with inserts sewn to it was gathered on a thread near the neck and sewn to the collar - usually narrow and small in size. In some places, the collar was replaced by a stitch with a pattern - a lining. Embroidered mostly with linen threads, the shirts were richly ornamented.
Men's shirts of the region were distinguished by greater variability. The oldest was a tunic-like model with a standing collar, a slit in the middle or on the side of the bosom and an embroidered chest. A shirt with an insert was characterized by the following features: a standing or lapel collar with abundant gatherings near it and a straight cut of the bosom. In arrow shirts, the function of the inserts was performed by a triangular wedge, which was widened to the collar and covered with embroidery.
At the end of the 19th century, Slobozhansky shirts became more and more unique and acquired clearly defined, characteristic only for them, features. This process is characterized by the appearance in the Kharkiv and Luhansk regions of shirts with high standing collars, and later - shirts with a yoke, with a large neckline and sleeves sewn directly to the yoke. In some places, red ribbons and various inserts were made on women's shirts, like Russian samples. Young men wore colored scarves (layers) around their necks as an accompaniment to their shirts.
So, Slobozhanshchyna, as a region, and Slobozhansk embroidery itself, have gone through a difficult path to creating the identity and uniqueness of their own culture. Ahead is an equally difficult path of promoting national ethnic elements and raising the average level of awareness of the history of the state, but it is necessary to recognize now: the traditions of embroidery in the East of Ukraine - were, are and will be!
Author: Maksym Timchenko.
To buy embroidery, Kyiv is the city with the largest selection, of course. But wherever you are, we will be happy to send your purchase to any corner of Ukraine.
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