Introduction to Vyshyvanka Embroidery
Lily is a volunteer who has recently graduated from Glasgow School of Art. With her specialty in embroidery, she is undertaking an ongoing research project with us to learn more about the world of Ukrainian embroidery, producing a variety of samplers for us.
My name is Lily Mechan, I am a recent Textiles graduate from Glasgow School of Art, having specialised in embroidery. I became interested in contributing to the development of the Museum of Ukrainian Craft and Culture Scotland after hearing about the creation and symbolism of embroidery in Ukrainian culture, and how so many of the traditional techniques and meanings are being lost to time, modern textiles production and war.
I have been particularly interested in learning, preserving and revitalising traditional hand embroidery techniques, so I was very keen to learn about the vyshyvanka; its history, cultural significance and the traditional embroidery techniques that would be used to create it.
Embroidery is a hugely important and symbolic part of Ukrainian history, identity and culture. Though it has been used for centuries as common decoration in Ukrainian homes, its most significant forms are rushnyk (a rectangular length of embroidered cloth) or vyshyvanka (embroidered shirts), which have been used in rituals and ceremonies, ranging from births to weddings to funerals, for centuries.
The creation of vyshyvanka is an intricate, personal and very symbolic process. Traditionally a woman’s craft, though not exclusively, creating a vyshyvanka requires a great deal of patience, precision and skill, with some garments taking weeks, months, or even years to complete. For this reason, vyshyvanka were typically only worn on special occasions or holidays, while undecorated shirts (called ‘budenka’) were worn for everyday activities. Vyshyvanka would historically be created by someone in the household, such as a new bride making embroidered shirts for her groom and his parents, but it was not uncommon for wealthier people to pay a skilled embroiderer to make vyshyvanka for them – though such requests were typically kept secret, as wearing a shirt embroidered by someone else was seen as an embarrassment.
Stylized depiction of the map of Ukraine, showing the different vyshyvanka styles of each region
Vyshyvanka is usually created using linen or hemp, though modern vyshyvanka may also be made using cotton, as it is a cheaper and more readily available alternative. It is traditionally embroidered by hand, though modernisation has introduced a machine element to allow for mass-production. As vyshyvanka is used as a talisman to protect against evil, there is even a superstition in Ukraine that the energy of the person embroidering the shirt is passed through the stitches to the wearer. It is therefore encouraged that one should only work on vyshyvanka while in a good mood, so as not to transfer any negative energy and thus bring bad luck to the wearer.
Women’s vyshyvanka, exhibited in the Ivan Honchar Museum in Kyiv
Various stitches have historically been used in the making of vyshyvanka, with over 200 different embroidery techniques at one point in time being used across Ukraine, though this changed quite drastically at the beginning of the twentieth century when a French perfume company, Brocard, opened a soap factory near Kremenchug, in Central Ukraine. To promote their sales, they began wrapping every bar of soap bought in a colourfully patterned paper, which could then also be used as a cross-stitch pattern based on traditional Ukrainian motifs and symbols.
While this made Ukrainian embroidery somewhat easier and more accessible, it did result in the diminishment and even loss of more complex traditional techniques, such as braiding, Romanian couching, satin stitch, white work and drawn thread work. To this day, cross-stitch is the popular choice of stitch for personal use in Ukrainian embroidery due to its simplicity and accessibility to cross-stitch patterns.
Placement of embroidery on vyshyvanka differs depending on factors like gender, region and purpose. Women’s vyshyvanka can be very versatile and diverse, with embroidery appearing on collars and cuffs, sleeves and breasts, and even on skirt hems. Men’s vyshyvanka, on the other hand, have historically been a bit more subtle, usually confined to the collars and cuffs of their shirts. As vyshyvanka is viewed as a talisman against evil, it is common for the embroidery to be done on areas touching the body, as it was believed this would offer the wearer more protection.
Colour serves an important purpose in Ukrainian embroidery, with different colours carrying different meanings. The most typical base colour for vyshyvanka is white, though red and black can also be used. Similarly, the most common thread colours are black and red. The white symbolises protection and purity, black can be used alternatively as a source of strength or of mourning, as it represents the colour of the earth, and red symbolises love and the energy of the sun, and is thought to bring forth positivity and joy. Though these are the most common colours traditionally associated with vyshyvanka, other colours such as blue (a powerful talisman offering protection and healing), green (symbolising youth, beauty and femininity) and yellow (symbolising honey, wheat and richness) can also be used. Around the 10th century or so, it even became tradition in some regions for those with wealth (such as clergymen or noble families) to embroider with silver or gold threads, to demonstrate their riches and influence.
Alongside the careful selection of colours, certain images and motifs are chosen to be embroidered on vyshyvanka, each with their own specific meaning or significance which can alternate from region to region. These motifs are generally categorised in one of three ways: geometric, flora and fauna, and zoomorphic. The most common of the geometric designs are the eight-pointed star (symbolising fertile land and the universe), circles (symbolising the sun and moon, divine energy and cyclical existence), squares (symbolising harmony and order), and the rhombus (symbolising fertility and good health).
The most common floral or plant based motifs are poppies (protecting the wearer against evil), grapes (symbolising joy and unity), red viburnum berries (symbolising love, wealth and the motherland) and oak leaves (symbolising strength, power and development).
Zoomorphic designs are more complex and slightly less common than floral or geometric motifs. The most common zoomorphic motifs are butterflies (symbolising transformation and sometimes angels), mythical animals such as unicorns or dragons (thought to protect against evil) and birds – perhaps the most common type of zoomorphic imagery to appear on Ukrainian embroidery.
I specifically chose to embroider the eight-pointed star, squares and circles, and a cluster of grapes because they are such common symbols amongst vyshyvanka from all regions in Ukraine, both vintage and modern, and their meanings are typically shared from region to region. For the eight-pointed star, I used the extremely popular cross-stitch technique – the uniformity of the stitches allowed for better symmetry and precision, which is key for such a pattern. In the other symbols, I used various techniques: cross-stitch and satin stitch for filled shapes; backstitch and whipped backstitch for the linear designs.
Ukrainian embroidery is a very broad and versatile craft, and there are countless variations of its techniques, patterns and symbols to learn from.
Lily Mechan
Volunteer