Pysanky for Peace

In peaceful times, giant eggs would often appear in Ukrainian cities ahead of Easter, showcasing the art of the pysanka (pysanka is derived from pysaty, "to write," pysanky is the plural form).  Shops would fill with these delicate souvenirs, and Ukrainian artists, or pysankary, would be busy selling their creations over various internet platforms. 

The traditional pysanka is an egg that has been carefully emptied of its contents—one way is to drill a small hole at either end and slowly blow the egg out of a shell—and decorated. The artist applies the design with beeswax using a special instrument called pisachok (another name for it is kistka) and dunks the egg in dyed water. The process can be repeated several times if more colors are required, though traditional motifs often have just one. At the end, the wax is melted with heat from a candle and wiped clean.

To see the technique demonstrated, check out videos made by Tetyana Konoval, who taught children's classes in Kyiv before the war, and is now hosting candlelight workshops online. 

Konoval also has an online shop where you can order pysanky created by her and other artists. You can also purchase a step-by-step guide with the main ornaments, which is easily downloadable.

This year, war has uprooted millions of people and many artists have also been forced to flee. Some have warned potential buyers that they cannot guarantee timely delivery of their items. It is still possible to support Ukrainian pysankary: if you don't want to purchase a pysanka, some shops accept donations through purchase of a digital image, such as this one.

Check out the following artists if you're interested in buying pysanky or just supporting them in a very difficult time. Click on the image to proceed to the page on Etsy or Instagram.

Pysanka artists are also participating in the Pysanky for Peace project: if you are artistically inclined, you can paint your own egg, or sponsor one painted by somebody else. Proceeds will go to Razom, an organization helping with emergency response in Ukraine.