Ukrainian folk art crafts’ brief overview

1. Variety of folk crafts 

Folk art crafts constitute an indefeasible part of Ukrainian culture. Varieties of folk arts are plentiful: pottery and ceramics, weaving and carpetry, embroidery and Easter eggs’ painting, blacksmithing and goldsmithery, glassery and artistic painting, leather procession, wood procession and carving, plaiting and cooperage, wheelmanry and stone procession, carpentry and woodworking, clothes- and footwear-sewing, toys-making and paper cutout, pictorial art and ornamentation hand-making. 

2. Centuries-old history 

Folk art crafts have their roots deep in antique times. For instance creation of ceramic dishes and ornaments was booming in contemporary Ukraine’s territory back in the era of Trypillian culture (5000 – 3000 years B.C.), whereas woodworking, weaving, carpetry, eggs-painting - since Kyevan Rus.

3. Ethnography 

Folk crafts are soaked with the features typical for different ethnographic areas of the country. For instance, in a number of settlements (Opishnia, Reshetylivka, Kosiv, Bohuslav, Havarechchyna, Petrykivka, Dihtiari, Hlyniany, Klembivka, and others) the schools of traditional folk arts have survived till nowadays.

Each region has its own inimitable peculiar features since unique secrets of technologic and technocratic craftsmanship have been being passed from one generation to the other for many centuries by now. 

4. World cultural heritage

Acquisitions of Ukrainian folk arts become a part of the world cultural heritage. For instance, in 2013 the ‘Unique Petrykivka painting workmanship of Ukrainian folk pictorial art’ was listed as a piece of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. [1] And in 2018 ‘Traditions of Reshetylivka (Poltava region) carpets’ and ‘Hutsul egg-decorative painting’  [2] were included into National register of intangible cultural heritage elements of Ukraine. [3]

5. Revival of ancient traditions in contemporary products 

Due to national upsurge the ethnical revival has become one of the most acute trends nowadays. Contemporary craftsmen bring ancient Ukrainian traditions back to life in their work and skillfully mix traditional cultural peculiarities with the modern-world needs. Their products appear to be practical and up-to-date, however, they carry the charm of ethnic hue and Ukrainian traditions. 

For instance, contemporary ceramics care for reviving and modernizing the eco-friendly earthenware pottery, made according to ancient technologies of Ukrainian potters, and bringing it to wide consumption. And Ukrainian ethnic bijous carry ancient traditions since every pattern, drawing or ornament keeps historical memory and ancient symbolism. 

6. Handwork

Products by Ukraine’s craftsmen are a result of perfect handwork. For instance, Petrykivka painting is fully manual thorough work and that is why every item made is unique and inimitable. Ukrainian ceramics are also a crown-to-bottom piece of handwork by a craftsman. Carpets are not just decorative elements. Every piece is a special and original sample of folk art and authorial style of a craftsman. 

Ukrainian authorial ethnic bijous are made by hand, that is why every piece is unique. Even the pieces made as per the same template are still going to be different. 

7. Eco-friendliness and safety of the items made 

Creations by famous Ukrainian craftsmen are only of highest quality. For instance, woodwork items are eco-friendly and are made of natural materials without any chemical additives, toxic paints or lacquers (‘Uhova LTD’ LLC). [4] Ukrainian ceramists also do not work with other than eco-friendly raw materials and never apply any harmful additives and chemicals in production process. Relevant quality certificates are available (‘Покутська кераміка’ TM (Ceramics of Pokuttia)). [5]

8. Great export potential  

Unique, high-quality hand-made goods are more and more strongly preferred in the world. That is why Ukraine has enormous export potential for the commodities of folk art. At the moment the craftsmen sell their products through internet platforms. For instance, Ukraine is in third position in the whole world in terms of handmade goods’ sales at ‘Etsy’ platform trailing Britain and France only. [6]

Items made of wood are exported by Ukraine’s craftsmen mainly to the EU countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany) and the USA. The most exported commodities are wooden kitchen and interior elements, furniture elements and components, wooden frames for all sorts of brushes and wooden toys (‘Uhova LTD’ LLC). [7]

Ukrainian ethno-bijous are worn by beauties in more than 17 countries of the world. For instance, mostly the bijous from Ukraine are bought in Poland, the USA, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Canada (‘Lianochko’ TM). [8]

Ukraine has strong export potential in the fields of weaving and carpetry. For instance, the carpet- and carpet-related-products-making company ‘Karat’ from the city of Khmelnitskyi does already export its products to more than 30 countries of the world, such as: the USA, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Japan, India, Qatar, Indonesia, China, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Romania, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia. [9] 

Pieces of art by Ukrainian artists are sold at Sotheby’s and Phillips auctions.

[1] - https://petrykivka.dp.ua/petrykivka-mizhnarodne-viznannya-na-foni-vizhivannya/ 

[2] - http://prostir.museum/ua/post/41289 

[3] - https://np.pl.ua/2018/02/tradytsiji-roslynnoho-kylymarstva-reshetylivky-vneseno-do-natsionalnoho-pereliku-elementiv-nematerialnoji-kulturnoji-spadschyny-ukrajiny/ 

[4] - https://feelwood.com.ua/about/ 

[5] - https://wz.lviv.ua/interview/385258-pered-tym-iak-vidpravyty-svoiu-keramiku-na-vypal-u-pich-vmochuie-ii-u-moloko 

[6] - https://www.epochtimes.com.ua/korysni-porady/shcho-kupuyut-za-kordonom-u-maystriv-z-ukrayiny-125191 

[7] - https://feelwood.com.ua/about/ 

[8] - https://lianochko.com.ua/pro-tmlianochko/ 

[9] - https://karatcarpet.com/development/our-partners/