Ukrainian embroidery is very colorful and elegant, it attracts attention with rich, diverse and, at the same time, very mysterious patterns. Those who are interested in Ukrainian embroidery will not be able to understand it without knowledge of the native folklore, history, ethnography and philosophy of Ukraine. The embroidery patterns reflect the attitude of the Ukrainian people to their native nature, birth, life and death, the structure of the Universe and the starry sky, as well as the place of man on Earth and his participation in life processes.
Embroidery technologies, color and compositional solutions in creating ornaments have slight differences in different regions of the country, however, with a careful study of symbolic signs and entire ornaments, the common origin of a single embroidery symbolism throughout Ukraine becomes obvious, as well as the kinship of the worldview of the entire Ukrainian people. In all regions of Ukraine, the main symbols-amulets are Earth, Sun, Water, which are depicted in embroidery with simple signs - rhombuses, crosses, snakes-snakes and others, but have significant amulet power.
Ukrainian enthusiasts - connoisseurs of folk embroidery, collect ancient embroidered products, study their ornaments and technologies, create their embroideries based on the knowledge gained and try to convey this invaluable knowledge to all people for whom Ukrainian culture is important, of which folk embroidery is a part. The philosophical view of Ukrainians on the world around them is presented in the symbolic meaning of embroidery ornaments.
Kalina is a symbol of the entire Ukrainian family. The name of this beautiful small tree comes from the ancient word Circle, which our ancestors called the Sun. Kalina was associated with the birth of the Universe, which includes fiery luminaries - the Sun, the Moon and the stars. The red juicy fruits of the Kalina resemble drops of blood, which symbolize the immortal family. Due to the connection of Kalina with the infinity of the family, its clusters are widely decorated with wedding embroidery - towels and embroidered clothes.
The oak was a symbol of the Slavic pagan god Perun, who personified masculine energy and extraordinary strength, so Ukrainians often used motifs with oak leaves and acorns to decorate men's shirts. Combined with viburnum, this pattern becomes a symbol of the strength of the Ukrainian race.
Patterns that include grapevines and large bunches of grapes symbolize a happy, prosperous family life, family joys associated with the birth and upbringing of children. Grape motifs are popular on embroidery from Poltava and Kyiv regions, as well as on Chernihiv towels.
Poppy has long symbolized protection from harm, so its seeds were consecrated in the church and sprinkled with them people, animals, the entire yard for reliable protection from the evil eye. Ukrainian folklore says that after a military battle, the following spring, the field is covered with bright red poppies, as a memory of the shed blood of warriors. The poppy flower symbolizes the family's memory of the fallen soldiers. Red poppies decorated the ornaments of the embroidered dresses of girls from the family of the fallen warrior, and were also woven into their wreaths, which meant their family memory and a promise to continue and preserve the family.
Lilies for Ukrainians are not ordinary flowers, but symbols of girlish tenderness, purity, and charm. A pattern depicting a lily always consists of a flower, a bud, and leaves, as a trinity of the birth of life, its gradual development, and endless flowering. A pair of birds can be seen in the composition of the pattern, which personify the love of a young man and a girl. The ornament is complemented by the image of a cross - a blessing for the young for family happiness. The cross symbolically unites the solar and water elements, which means the unity of paternal and maternal energies. The water element is represented by dots above the flower in the form of dew drops, which mean fertilization. The watery, feminine energy of the lily is also confirmed by its ancient name - kryn, which has survived to our times in the word krynytsia.
Rose, or rose, is one of the most beloved flowers of Ukrainians. Rarely did any yard do without this prickly bush with wonderful flowers that resemble the Sun. One of the traditional Ukrainian names for a rose is ruzh. This word is consonant with the ancient word Ra, which was called the Sun, as well as the word ruda - the old Ukrainian name for blood. Rose ornaments are a continuous strip of repeating motifs, depicting the continuous movement of the Sun and constant renewal. Roses, collected in a geometric pattern and connected by chains, with their strict ornament show the order that reigns in the Universe, where roses play the role of stars.
Hop leaves are embroidered on the shirts of young people, because this symbol means youthful enthusiasm, love, development. The hop pattern is very similar to the symbolism of grapes and water, which mean family happiness, so it is considered a wedding symbol. This motif is especially common in the central regions of Ukraine, as well as in Volyn, Podillia and some other areas.
In Ukrainian embroideries you can see all the flowers that Ukrainian women love and grow in their gardens near their homes. Marigolds, mint, marigolds, lovage, sage and other flowers decorate life, cure people of ailments, so needlewomen try to reflect their beauty in their embroideries. They bloom in colorful garlands on the embroideries of Ukrainian craftsmen.
Strawberry gathers the power of the Sun, which brings people health and joy. The Ukrainian name for strawberry comes from one of the ancient names for the Sun - Polel. Strawberry berries, like the Sun, are turned towards the Earth, giving it their light and love.
Ornaments with strawberries can be embroidered as a children's girl's vyshyvanka. A closed circular pattern along the hem of the shirt will serve as a good amulet. Bereginya is revered throughout Ukraine. Ornaments with the symbol of Bereginya are found on towels and shirts of all regions. She is a sacred symbol of Nature - the Mother of all living things, the Woman-Mother - the founder of the entire human race, as well as the Tree of Life, which created the entire Universe. It contains the harmony of life and endless renewal. Bereginya is depicted in the form of a large flower or a tree with flowers, growing from a small piece of earth in a flowerpot, which symbolizes the inextricable connection of all living creatures of nature with their native land and the general life system.
Birds often appear on Ukrainian towel ornaments. Embroiderers from the Middle Dnieper region are especially fond of their images, who decorate towel designs with various species of birds.
The nightingale and the lark often appear on girls' towels. They are usually embroidered in pairs, on viburnum twigs. These birds symbolize a girl's quick marriage.
Peacocks are very colorful birds. They look great in wedding towel ornaments. A wreath or crown is embroidered above them, which means God's blessing. According to mythological ideas, a peacock is a firebird, a source of solar energy, the energy of development. A peacock brings happiness to family life. In the Poltava region, brides supplemented their wedding wreaths with peacock feathers.
Falcons, roosters and doves were embroidered in pairs, symbolizing a newlywed couple in love. For a wedding towel, they were embroidered with their heads facing each other. Often, viburnum berries were embroidered in the beaks of wedding birds, or they were placed near the roots of a tree, symbolizing a newly created family.
The swallow is perceived by the Ukrainian people as a good messenger, bringing spring and a new happy life to the house. The caring swallow is a reminder of the need to create a family and one's own home.
Birds in embroidery symbolized the souls of people. Family towels contained ornaments depicting the Tree of Life with large branches, with fantastic birds placed at the base, in the center of the trunk, and on both sides. This pattern symbolized the continuity of the family.
Ukrainian embroidery is rich in magical signs symbolizing natural elements. The element of the Sun is conventionally depicted as a rosette or a flower with eight petals. The sign of the element of Water looks like a snake coiled in water. These elements of nature created earthly life, so they were considered as the paternal fire and maternal water energy.
The earth in embroidered ornaments is depicted as rhombuses with a dot in the middle, which means the sown fertile Earth that feeds people and all living things in nature. The ornament, containing all three signs - Sun, Water, Earth, united all three elements for the creation and constant existence of life.
Geometric ornaments with stars demonstrate our ancestors' ideas about the structure of the Universe. They saw it not as a chaotic scattering of stars, but as a harmoniously created system of stars that has a certain order and constantly creates new stars.
These are the amazing and beautiful ornaments-symbols that adorn Ukrainian towels and shirts, expressing the people's love for their native land, nature, and also the awareness of themselves as an important part of a harmonious and integral world. A person who knows how to read folk symbolism will be able to find out from the embroidery of a towel or vyshyvanka what event the product was created for, what age period and gender of the owner it is intended for. Only the most common basic patterns of Ukrainian embroidery are described here. In fact, there are a huge number of them. Studying ancient ornaments unknown to you means expanding your knowledge of the history and traditions of your native people, and such knowledge is an indicator of the culture of every educated person.
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