Halyna Ivashkiv,
doctor of art history,
leading researcher of the Institute of Ethnology
of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Collection of ukrainian easter eggs (Pysanka)
of the museum of ethnography and artistic crafts: characteristics of the decor
The Easter egg (Pysanka) has long been and remains a unique phenomenon of our culture, a real national symbol, the history of its appearance goes back to ancient times. One of its largest collections is the one of the Museum of Ethnography and Artistic Crafts of the Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (hereinafter – MEAC), and part of it (250 monuments) is the object of this study "Ukrainian Easter egg (Pysanka) in the European cultural space", which was made possible thanks to the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Fund.
Long before Christianity, the egg acquired a symbolic, and later a cult value among ancient peoples, because it was a symbol of the sun, light and warmth, the source of life. In the times of Christianity, the Easter egg already appears as a necessary attribute of the preparation and celebration of Christ's Resurrection. Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg) was called a "home talisman" (M. Sumtsov), an apotropaion (V. Scherbakivskyi), a "talizman" or "a banner that creates the content of two religious worldviews" (D. Hornyatkevych).
One of the first to draw attention to the importance of Ukrainian Easter egg patterns was Fedir Vovk during his speech in 1874 at the Third Archaeological Congress1, later albums by O. Kosach2, P. Lytvynova3 and the Industrial Museum in Lviv4 were published. At the end of the 19th century a number of important studies appeared, including O. Kolberg5. M. Sumtsov6, F. Krchek7, M. Korduba8, B. Sokalskyi9, extended catalog about the collection of Easter eggs of the museum of K. Skarzhynska10. In 1904, the fourth part of V. Shukhevych's landmark work "Hutsulshchyna" was published (in 5 parts) – in the everyday life of the inhabitants of the region, one of the most vivid, next to Christmas, was the celebration of Easter11.
Several important scientific studies on pysanka appeared in the 1920s and 1930s, among which we note the works of V. Shcherbakivskyi12, S. Sydorovych13, and S. Taranushenko, who considered pysanka not only "as a document of ancient times" but as "a fact of folk art"14.
Skoryk15 analyzed the Easter eggs tradition of Boykivshchyna in detail. It is also worth mentioning separate editions of "Ukrainian Easter Eggs (Ukrainian Pysanka)" by E. Binyashevskyi16, V. Mytsyk17, Z. Yelyyiv's album "Twenty Kips (60 units) of Easter Eggs", which included 75 tables18. Among the editions of the 21st century, we note a number of albums by V. Manko, a researcher and Easter egg maker, who talentedly reproduces numerous samples of Easter eggs (pysanka) from the museums of Ukraine19. The author of this work found important information about Easter eggs from numerous small articles published in magazines and anthologies (Tygodnik, Tygodnik Powczechnyny, Lud, Wisła, Ziemia, Kievskaya Staryna, Nova Khata, Siayvo, etc.).
The MEAC collection is the largest in Ukraine - it has about 13,000 preservation units. This collection needs a special serious study, because until now it has not been studied in detail20: the general characteristics or analysis of individual objects were sporadically discussed in chapters of collective monographs21, articles in periodicals22, guidebooks23 or albums (mostly only illustrations were presented)24. A little more information about individual Easter eggs from the MEAC collection is provided in the texts and illustrative series of recent collective works25.
The collection consists of the ones of several museums, mainly the Museum of the Shevchenko Scientific Society, the Industrial Museum in Lviv, the Museum of Count Wlodziměj Dziedushytskyi and other collections. The collection contains samples of Easter eggs from various historical and ethnographic regions. A significant source base of this research is primarily the monuments themselves, as well as scientific and popular science publications, albums, Inventory books of the Museum of Ethnography and Artistic Crafts of the Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, in particular the Museum of the Shevchenko Scientific Society26.
A small part of the Ukrainian Easter eggs in the fund is dated by the end of the 19th century – the oldest is the monument of 1882, which comes from Opillya, in particular from the village of Ostriv (Lviv county) 27. (230). A group of Easter eggs from Hutsul region, Podillya and Volhyn dates back to the 1890s. Easter eggs from Moskalivka (Kosiv county, Hutsulshchyna/Hutsul region) were marked as of 1890. Two of them are decorated with motifs of crosses over the entire surface of the fields, the third – with images of deer (238, 243). On the Easter egg from Slobidka (Podillya) among the motifs of "chains" are the inscriptions "Christ is Risen. 1891." (198). Pysankas of 1894 from Volyn are characterized by a division into two fields and fairly large images of animals and birds. (174).
The most numerous in terms of volume is the collection of monuments from the beginning of the 20th century until the end of the 1930s. In the decoration of Easter eggs of the 1907 from Volyn, plant motifs predominate: "viburnum leaf", twigs, "roses". Easter egg from Hermakivka (Melnytsia-Podilska county, Podillya) is dated 1930. (191, 209)
On the Easter egg from Slobidka (Podillya) among the motifs of "chains" are the inscriptions "Christ is Risen. 1891." (198). Pysankas of 1894 from Volyn are characterized by a division into two fields and fairly large images of animals and birds. (174).
It is important to analyze the main stages of creating Easter eggs (pysanka) – from the time of drawing to the characteristics of their artistic features, including types of decor, leading motifs and images, etc. At the end of the 19th century in Ukraine, Easter eggs were drawn in different ways, mainly at the beginning of Great Lent, from Ash Wednesday or Holy Cross Sunday, from the last week of the Lent until Easter Friday and Saturday, Ascension Day, Ascension Sunday, and rarely “Green Holidays” (Holy Trinity) 28. The drawing of pysanka was most often postponed to the last week of the Lent, in particular Friday, because hard work could not be done then. Instead, working with Easter eggs was considered a "God-pleasing" work, "an activity favored by God", "God's service"29.
In the Kamianka-Strumylova county, this continued until Ascension, in some settlements of the Hutsul region (Brusturiv) – until the ‘Green Holidays’, in Potelych (until May 8), Lavrykiv (until St. Yuriy/St. George), Bila (until St. Nicholas). This was due to the fact that Easter eggs there were in great demand at pilgrimages and the fairs held at that time30.
Pysanky were mostly made by women and girls, very rarely by men. In the Hutsul region, as V. Shukhevych noted, "capable and patient women"31 made Easter eggs. Craftswomen often considered their work to be "a kind of mysterious function"32. I. Hurhula mentioned that "...patterned Easter eggs (pysanka) or colored eggs (krashanka) are proof of the artistic creativity and originality of women." 33
In the Inventory books or on the Easter eggs themselves, the surnames or initials of the authors only occasionally appear; they were made by girls from 14 years old, and more often 16-19 years old with "finished public school", women 21-26 years old34. In some villages, this was done by older women, whose Easter eggs were distinguished by ancient motifs. In the village of Nivra of Borshchiv county (Western Podillya) Easter eggs were made by "an illiterate old woman, and some unique motifs of the ornament were only on her Easter eggs." 35
Much less often, the authors of Easter eggs were men, mostly unmarried36: "a 20-year-old man, deaf-mute" (Nezvysko); boy, 21 years old (Belzets); "deaf-mute housekeeper, age 31"37 (Nezvysko) or "peasant, age 40, who graduated from public school", who in 1908 was "the best pysanka-maker in the village" – this is about the village Khashchiv (Turka county, Boykivshchyna) 38. According to the research of S. Sydorovych, boys from Stare Selo (Lviv, Opillya) 39 were also engaged in Easter eggs (pysanka) making.
"Pysarka" or "pysancharka" (pysanka maker) in Hutsul region, Boykivshchyna, Opillya and other regions were called women who created Easter eggs for money for those families that did not have adult girls or in general people who could draw Easter eggs40. In the Hutsul region, such craftsmen were called "specialists"41. Professor D. Horniatkevych was a witness of how an elderly pysankarka in the Hutsul region "painted 30-36 pysankas in three days" despite the fact that she was doing all her household work and taking care of a small child42.
Ornaments on Easter eggs are created with the help of a special tool: these are "pysaltse", "pysachok", "pysak", "pyshchok" (a tool for writing, like a pen), "kystka", "kystochka", "kistka", "kiestka" (kind of a brush), "kul’ka" (ball, balloon), "didyk", "mygulka", "migulka", "ryltse", "koshychok" (basket), "kaniuk", "kachalo", etc. The drawn (decorated with ornaments) Easter eggs were lowered into the dye – alternately from the lightest to the darkest color, i.e. yellow first, then green, red, then black.
Some dyes were prepared by pysanka-makers themselves from natural materials, i.e. plants from their area, others were bought in shops43. Yellow was mainly made on the basis of the bark of a wild apple tree44, from young buds of alder or poplar, mountain ash, buckwheat chaff45. Ukrainians got the green color from winter crops, mainly rye, as well as other grains and herbs, periwinkle leaves, broad beans, berries of wild elder or black mallow, hazel flowers, chestnut leaves or young periwinkle46. A decoction of onion husks was very common for making red color (dye) in Ukraine. Dark colors were obtained from oak bark, black alder, alder cones, black elder berries, blueberries47, and black maple bark.
The question of the traditionality of colors on Easter eggs, the use of color patterns in certain combinations, and the symbolism of colors is extremely interesting. So, in Horodenka county, it was recorded that those who want to have black lambs give the shepherd black "halunkas" on Easter, and those who want to have white lambs give the shepherd ordinary boiled eggs48.
In Ukraine, Easter eggs were distinguished by their multi-functionality: ceremonial, protective, game (games such as "scratching" (‘navbytka’), "rolling" (‘navkotka’), "for the blind man", etc.), decorative. Some of the Easter eggs (pysanka) were kept for a whole year – the reason for this was not only a protective or decorative function, but also an effort to preserve "unusual" patterns49.
Girls gave Easter eggs to the groom and other boys50, older people – as a sign of reconciliation and friendship. Sometimes Easter egg was a "bargaining material": in the olden days, pysankas were used to be bought off from Jews in order to be able to go to church on Easter. In Borshchiv County, special painted eggs were even made for this occasion51. Mothers from Boykivshchyna painted Easter eggs for their children (for games on Easter, gave them as gifts for birthdays) and other family members, godmothers for godchildren. Krashankas for deceased small children were placed in their coffins - in the right hand or near their head (Boykivshchyna). 52
Pysankas, as one of the types of folk art, is associated with the painting/drawing of eggs, mostly chicken eggs, less often goose, duck, pigeon, crow eggs, etc. According to the methods of decoration and painting techniques, Easter eggs can be divided into the following varieties: krashanka, dryapanka (scratched eggs), and painted with wax using the method of nakraplennya (smearing), shpyl’ka (pin), or pysachok (writing pen).
Eggs painted in one color (yellow, blue, green, golden, purple, black) without any patterns are considered the easiest to make - krashanka. A boiled egg colored with one color was mostly called "halunka", although researchers also recorded the names ‘slyva’ (plum), "slyvka", "alunka", ‘halka’(daw), "havka", "velykodnytsya".
From the end of the 19th century, in Boykivshchyna, Lemkivshchyna and Nadsyannya, the technique of painting with a pin (rozpys shpyl’koyu) was widespread. With the round head of the pin, which was used to collect the heated wax, a special stroke was drawn with a rounded thickening at one end and a sharpening at the other. "A stylishly drawn Easter egg creates an impression, as if its entire surface was spinning, in motion," wrote M. Skoryk53 enthusiastically. Among the patterns, the motifs "on stars" (na zvizdky) or "half stars" in various combinations were the most used (Bitlya, Turka county, 1913, 004). (Lukavytsia, Lemkivshchyna; 1928. 003). The compositional scheme, in which the "star" motif and two horizontal rows of "semi-stars" at an angle are combined at the ends (Kelnarova, Nadsyannya; 007), appears to be shimmering.
Shkryabanka ("skryabanka", "rizbyanka", "rizblyanka", "dryapanka") are basically decorated eggshells (krashanka) – eggs, solidly dyed in one color and decorated with sophisticated patterns using an awl or a sharp knife, less often the edge of a scythe or sickle. The basis of the decor of a significant number of Boyky carvings are plant patterns: twigs (Yasenytsia Zamkova, Turka county; 1936, 024); "pots" (Stari Bohorodchany, Bohorodchany county; 1929; 029), etc. Predominance of plant motifs is probably related to technical possibilities.
Pysankas are Easter eggs decorated with drawings in two or more colors using two methods of wax reservation: dotting ("spotting") with wax and painting with a special pen (pysachok or pysal’tse). In many regions of Ukraine, the dripping technique was used, when a wax candle dripped onto an egg. Instead, "spots" ("spots") were sometimes made using a comb and a hard brush, thus creating colorful dots (Kalush county) 54.
The most common was painting with pysachok (a special pen) – a wax pattern was applied to the egg, and then dipped in paints/dyes. Usually, the surface of the egg is divided by longitudinal thin belts, less often by transverse belts. Pysanka, which did not have belts, were called "beltless" (bezpoyasnytsya) 55.
The fact that archaic motifs, mainly geometric ones (including solar signs and cross-shaped compositions), have been preserved for the longest time in Polissya, Hutsul region, Boykivshchyna and Lemkivshchyna, is explained by the fact that these regions have been low accessible for centuries. Therefore, geometric ornament, which is the oldest, is considered "a kind of writing, a graphic representation of some idea"56.
In the Easter ornament, the swastika, as one of its leading motifs, has various names, including "broken cross" (lomanyi khrest), "hooked cross" (hachkovyi khrest), "scratchers” (drapachky), "brooms" (vinychky), "mill" (mlynochok) 57, "windmill" (vitryachok) 58 and less commonly used - "curve" (kryvul’ka), "braid" (kosytsya), "lily" (leliya), "leaves"59, "tetraskel", "four-legged" (chotyrynih) 60. The "swastika" or "savvastika" sign is especially common in the decoration of Boyky and Lemky Easter eggs (Ulaziv, Chesaniv county, Nadsyannya, 136) (Storozhi Velyki, Lemkivshchyna, 021; Pokuttya; Dobromyrychi, Kholmshchyna, 034; Lobukhova, Boykivshchyna). There are fewer examples of Easter eggs with the motif of the triquetra ("trynih" (three legs), "ruta", "nut leaf", "spider") as a symbol of the rotation of the Sun in the sky and a symbol of fertility. 037
Many names of the "rose" (rozha) motif recorded in various regions (Hutsulshchyna, Pokuttya, Podillya, Opillya, etc.) have been preserved in Easter ornamentation: ruzha "rose" (the most common), as well as "transverse roses", "six roses", " longitudinal roses", "half roses", "God's roses", "star rose", "double rose", "empty rose", "full rose", "side rose", etc. To emphasize the place of the "rose" motif, several of its compositional variants should be distinguished: from the simplest one-color to multi-colored: double three-color "rose", full "rose", "hooked rose", "rose" with hooks and prongs; 038 154 161 218 from four to six "roses"; "rose" as an addition to the main motif; "roses" are placed at both ends of the Easter egg. 204, 232
Dots played an important role in the decoration of the Easter eggs of Boykivshchyna, Lemkivshchyna and Nadsyannya (hence the motif "on dots") – in combination with other motifs, the authors endow them with a certain meaning ("on dots and pine trees", motifs of dotted rosettes and rhombuses) or in the framing of individual elements: Storozhi Velyki, village of Syanik, 1911, Lemkivshchyna; 027). A certain role was given to dashes, curves, triangles, squares, rhombuses, chains, etc.
Cross motifs in a wide variety of combinations with other elements occupy the leading place in the Easter eggs drawing. In the compositional schemes of Lemky pysanka, the cross motif is mostly complementary (Chornoriky, Krosno county, Lemkivshchyna; 001). Much more options with cross motifs (“cross”, “on crosses”) can be found in the decoration of Boyky pysankas (Ternavka, Skole county; Potik Velykiy, Turka county) 61, instead, compositional schemes with Greek crosses on Kholm and Boyky pysankas are marked by invariance : (Molodyatychi, Hrubeshiv county; 032); (Bolekhiv, Dolyna county; 009; Nyzhnya Yablunka, village of Turka; 025).
Compositions with crosses in the painting of Hutsul and Pokuttya pysankas are distinguished by their richness of forms – khrest "cross", khresty "crosses", khreshchyky, khrestata, khrestkom, paska, "Easter" or "Ressurection". Among the variants: a large cruciform cross on both sides of the Easter egg (1929; Kolomyia county; 043), sometimes with a notched border; a large christening cross on a pysanka without a dividing belt (1911; Kosiv county. 062) Single crosses of different shapes, separated by belts, gave the name to the pysanka "priest's robes" (Pistyn, Kosiv county; 049). The basis of the compositional scheme of the "crossed" Easter egg is the division into quadrangular fields with a small Greek cross in the center of each and a combination of the traditional Hutsul region color palette - white, yellow, green on a brown background – (Kosiv county). 064
Special Easter eggs with the motif name "cross" were also drawn/written in Podillya - we can see a combination of straight and Greek crosses (Nivra, Borshchiv county, 1913; 213) and Opillya (Stilsko, Zhydachiv county, 1913, 229).
It is noteworthy that in the Bukovynsky Pidhirya (Bukovyna region) K. Lastivka recorded patterns that are rare in Ukrainian pysanka drawing, related to the cross and other elements of the sacred type: "God's hand", "The Mother of God has made a garment" (Dykhtyntsi). Easter eggs "Monday", "Wednesday", "Friday" (days of Holy Week) – with motifs of crosses of various shapes – seem unique62.
We draw attention to another motif of geometric ornament, which was used to decorate Easter eggs in different regions of Ukraine. We are talking about "knives/blades" (klyntsi) – a complex linear drawing of forty triangles, which acquired a new meaning and interpretation in Christian times. The motif is most widespread in Opillya, Boykivshchyna, Podillya, Volyn, Slobozhanshchyna. V. Shukhevych recorded the following names of Easter eggs: "klynchyky" (knives), "pivklynchyky" (half knives), "tryklynchyky" (three knives), "sorok klynchykiv" (forty knives), "zhovtoklynchyky"63 (yellow knives). Other names are "klynchysta" (Nezvysko, 1913), "klyntsi" (Belzets, Zolochiv county). The pattern of "forty wedges" in Boyky region could have different backgrounds and different ways of filling triangles (Vytvytsya, Dolyna county, "on a blade and dots" (Yakubiv Dolyna county, Boyky region). In Yakubiv, a cross pattern with a double "blade" together with "spruce" was called "on a spruce and on a blade" (139).
The most common and mysterious signs symbolizing movement and life is infinity. Its form was sometimes equated with the "crooked dance", the motif has a ritual and mystical function – "the apiarist goes to the apiary to be baptized with his young bees and brings them an infinity"64. In Podillya, Easter eggs with such a motif were called "endless" (Shuparka, Borshchiv county) or "klinkovy bezkonechnyk" (blade-shaped endlessness) (Bratslav county), in Hutsul region – "bezkonechna" (endless) or "semi-endless"65 – the endless motif could be the main or complementary one. 061 (200, Yastrubna, Vinnytsya).
A small group consists of Easter eggs, the basis of which are motifs reminiscent of household objects: "windows" (vikna), "window sills" (vikontsya), "windshield" (vitrak), "windmills" (vitryaky), "windmill" (vitryachok), "mills" (mlyny), "blocks" (kolodky), "besagas", "barrels" (baryltsya), "ladders" (drabyny, drabynky), "gates" (kalytky), "rakes" (hrabli), "comb" (hrebinets), "combs" (hrebinchyky), "small rakes" (hrabelky, hrabeltsya). Pysankas with "rakes" were written in different regions of Ukraine - Kopychyntsy (Podillya), Vyzhentsi (Bukovyna).
In the decoration of Easter eggs, plant ornament should be analyzed, starting from the simplest ("flowers", "leaves") to more complex motifs - "branch" - "bouquet" - "vase" or "tree of life". It is noteworthy that Ukrainians have a deep sense of the beauty of nature, the earth is called the "great mother", and love for it develops the cult of beauty66.
When placing "flowers" on the eggs, the craftsmen used three types of division: into two, four, or eight fields. (Vysochany, Syanok county, Lemkivshchyna. 126). (Ruska Moldavytsya. Bukovyna. 1911. 093). (Luzhany, Kitsman county; 089). In the decoration of Easter eggs, it is necessary to note the artistic combinations of motifs of leaves. The variability of the motifs of "branches" on Easter egg patterns consists of their placement on the surface of Easter eggs, the presence or absence of dividing lines, size, leaves and rosettes. (099) (107). Some patterns in the Easter egg (pysanka) paintings of the Sokal county contain a contour outline (Korchiv. MEAC. 236), others are expressive pictorial features (Sebechiv. 1929; 253).
In the art history studies of Ukrainian ornamentation, scientists paid considerable attention to the "vase" or “flowerpot” motif (M. Bilyashivskyi, F. Vovk, Yu. Pavlutskyi, K. Shyrotskyi, A. Budzan, M. Stankevych, O. Nayden, M. Selivachov, M. Yur). The author of this article considered in detail the variants of the named motif in the decoration of folk ceramics67. The motif of a vase/flower, so common in various types of folk art, is similarly presented in pysanka drawing – with or without a vase, luxurious branches and leaves, etc.
The stock collection of Easter eggs is characterized by a variety of "vase / flowerpot" schemes, but compositions with vertical structures predominate (Samushyn, Zastavna county 084; Barbivtsi, Vashkivtsi county 091). Minimalism in the drawing of the "vase" of the Lemky masters (one "pine tree" in a diamond-shaped vessel) is enriched with the symbols of "star", zigzag and "ladder" (Lukavytsya, Lisko county, 1928, p. 124).
Zoomorphic motifs on collection Easter eggs (pysankas) can be divided into the following main groups: images of animals, fish and birds. In general, compared to, for example, monuments decorated with floral ornaments, there are few such Easter eggs. Thus, in the decoration of Boyky, Lemky and Kholm Easter eggs, the animal ornament mostly does not reproduce whole animals or birds – hence the names of the motifs "chicken feet", "goose feet", "duck necks", "goose wings", "wings ”, “chicken wings”, “hare ears”, etc.
A special place in the iconographic tradition of Prykarpattya was occupied by the image of a "golden-horned" deer, graceful, which was perceived as a symbol of Christ. The image of two deer on either side of the "painting" motif gave the name to the composition "Nursery". 242.
Several variants of images of horses are characterized by the creative thinking of the authors of pysanka, who tried to present them in different ways, in particular at rest or in motion, as the main motifs, and in the dividing belts (Kosiv county. 070 ).
The fish as a symbol of Jesus Christ was also among the images of the Easter ornament. Hutsul pysanka makers mostly composed it on the surface of pysankas (Kosiv ‒ Kosmach, Moskalivka, Pistyn; 053. 068). At the same time, Lemky masters depicted fish in a more stylized way, often without selecting colors (129). A large, bright yellow fish is one of the main motifs of the Easter egg "bezpoyasnytsya" (with no belt) (Sokal county, 254).
Images of birds, which were considered symbols of the soul and spirit, are common in many forms of folk art. The composition with images of four birds (two of them in flight) (Sokal county. 1913, p. 252), four birds with mirror symmetry (265), reminiscent of the images of birds in the decoration of Sokal ceramics of the second half of the 19th century, is calm and balanced. Podillya images of birds are presented with large lumps in the middle of winding branches (194; 196).
In the collection there are only a few Easter eggs with figurative images of people in everyday life: sights from Boykivshchyna (household scene "on a boy and a horse"; Yakubiv, Dolyna county; Pidlyashshya (three anthropomorphic figures with a branch in the right hand; Badgers, Pidlyashshya), Nadsyannya (full-length figure of a woman with a cradle, white wax painting on a red background; Mostyska; 005).
Easter eggs decorated with a unique and rare wax painting of sacred content are also worth mentioning – we are talking about religious scenes on three Easter eggs from Pokuttya (Nezvysko), which were written by a 20-year-old local boy: "St. Trinity", "Crucifixion", "Annunciation", "Christmas"; "St. Protection", "Ascension"; "St. Stefan", "Baptism", "St. Nicholas" (145, 227).
Images of churches and bell towers occupy a special place in the pysanka making of Hutsul region, Pokuttya and Podillya. Their names are recorded as follows: "church", "bells", "bell tower", "chapel", "monastery" ("monasteries"). The compositional schemes of "churches" are common: one in a medallion (066); eight in the "monastery" motif (Kosiv county. 1911, 052). (Zalishchyky county 267).
Elements of decor are also inscriptions on Easter eggs. Most of them are associated with the Easter holiday: "Christ is Risen", the abbreviation "ХВ" and the name of the Easter egg – "háchkova" (hook shaped) (Kosmach 178) are less common. Other inscriptions refer to the authors of pysanka, "Pazya Drobko", "Mihas Drobko" and "Stefan Markovych", "Anna Kubayevych" from Pylypy (Pokuttya), "Varvara Boychuk" (Kosmach). 146, 072
Inscriptions are mostly written, less often in printed letters 209 211. Some Easter eggs are completely covered with texts, in particular a fragment of a prayer (Sebechiv, Sokal county) or the inscription "God, save Ukraine" (Khutomychi, Sokal county). 251, 283, 284
Over the centuries, the pysanka for Ukrainians was and is an indispensable attribute of the Easter basket, a talisman for the family. The accuracy of the drawing, the always successful division of the egg's spherical surface, the rhythm and traditionality of the color scheme – all this contributed to the fact that the Easter egg paintings became real works of art. The art-scientific analysis of compositional schemes, main ornamental compositions, and motif interweaving emphasized the significance of the collection of Easter eggs (pysanka) at the MEAC.
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8 Кордуба М. Писанки на галицькій Волині. Матеріали українсько-руської етнології / За ред. Хв. Вовка. Т. 1. Львів: Б. в., 1899. Korduba M. Pysankas in Galician Volyn, 1899 (in Ukrainian)
9 Sokalski B. Powiat Sokalski. We Lwowie: nakładem museum im. Dzieduszyckich, 1899. S. 204‒218. - Sokalski B. Sokal county, 1899 (in Polish)
10 Описание коллекции народных писанок Лубенского музея Е. Н. Скаржинской: с альбомом из 33 хромолитографированных и 12 черных таблиц (всего 2219 рисунков) / составил С. К. Кульжинский. Москва, 1899. Вып. 1. 1899. – Description of collection of folk pysankas of Lubny museum of Skarzhynska, 1899 (in Russian)
11 Шухевич В. Гуцульщина. Видання друге. Верховина, 1999. Четверта частина. С. 220‒231. – Shukhevych V. Hutsulshchyna, 1999 (in Ukrainian)
12 Щербаківський В. Основні елементи походження орнаментації українських писанок та їхнє походження. Прага: Видання українського історично-філологічного товариства в Празі, 1925. 34 с. 1999 р. авторка цього дослідження перевидала зазначену працю зі своєю вступною статтею і коментарями (див.: Івашків Г. Вадим Щербаківський і його студія “Основні елементи походження орнаментації українських писанок та їхнє походження”. Українознавство: документи, матеріали, раритети. Івано-Франківськ, 1999. С. 219‒278). – Shcherbakivskyi V. Key elements of the origin of Ukrainian pysankas’ ornaments and their creation, 1925 (in Ukrainian)
13 Савина Сидорович ‒ етнограф, педагог і громадська діячка, упродовж 1925‒1929 рр. навчалася у Державному інституті ужиткового мистецтва у Варшаві. Вона авторка ґрунтовної праці “Pisanki ukraińskie. Pisanki wszesnohistoryczne”. Praca ręczna. Rocznik. Warszawa, 1927. S. 20‒49, 10 табл. Рукописні матеріали зберігаються у фондах Львівської національної наукової бібліотеки ім. В. Стефаника. Архів С. Сидорович на стадії опрацювання. – Savyna Sydorovych was ethnologist, teacher, civil activist, in 1925-29 studied at the State institute of crafts in Warsaw. She was an author of a work “Ukrainian pysanky”. 1927
14 Таранушенко С. Українські писанки, як пам’ятки народнього малярства (До постановки питання). Наукові записки: Праці науково-дослідної кафедри історії європ. культури. Вип 3. Харків, 1929. С. 449-457. – Taranushenko S. Ukrainian pysankas as monuments of Ukrainian painting, 1929 (in Ukrainian)
15 Скорик М. Бойківські писанки (нарис). Літопис Бойківщини. 1934. Ч. 4. С. 20‒28, 5 табл. – Skoryk M. Boyky pysankas, 1934 (in Ukrainian)
16 Українські писанки / вст. ст., акварелі та впорядкування Е. Біняшевського. Київ, 1968. – Ukrainian pysankas, 1968 (in Ukrainian)
17 Писанки / зібрав і зладив В. Мицик, змалював О Фисун. Київ, 1992. – Pysankas, 1992 (in Ukrainian)
18 Єлиїв З. Двадцять кіп писанок. Рочестер, Нью-Йорк: Самвидав, 1994. 75 с. – Yelyyiv Z. Twenty kips of pysankas, 1994 (in Ukrainian)
19 Манько В. 1464 взірці українських писанок. Львів: Свічадо, 2005. 45 с;Їі ж: Українська народна писанка. Науково-популярне видання. Львів: Свічадо, 2008. 80 с. – Manko V. 1464 patterns of Ukrainian Easter eggs (Pysankas), 2008 (in Ukrainian)
20 У довіднику по фондах музею за 1956 р. стаття про писанки відсутня (див.: Довідник по фондах українського державного музею етнографії та художнього промислу Академії наук УРСР. Київ, 1956). – there is no article about pysankas in the handbook of 1956
21 Суха Л. М. Писанка. Нариси з історії українського декоративно-прикладного мистецтва. Львів, 1968. С. 99−101; .- Sukha L. Pysankas, 1968 (in Ukrainian)
22 Гвоздевич С. Унікальна колекція писанок Музею етнографії та художнього промислу. Народознавчі зошити. 1997. № 3. С. 205−206. – Hvozdevych S. Unique collection of pysankas of the Museum of Ethnography and Art Crafts, 1997 (in Ukrainian)
23 Ляшенко О. Писанка. Музей етнографії та художнього промислу Інституту народознавства НАН України. Путівник. Львів: Інститут народознавства НАН України, 1996. С. 54−55. – Lyashenko O. Pysankas, 1996 (in Ukrainian)
24 Павлюк С., Чмелик Р. Скарби Музею етнографії та художнього промислу Інституту народознавства НАН України. Альбом. Львів, 2005. Іл. 46 −53. – Pavlyuk S., Chmelyk R. Treasures of the Museum of Ethnography and Art Crafts, 2005 (in Ukrainian)
25 Ляшенко О. Г. Писанки. Гуцульщина. Історико-етнографічне дослідження. Київ, 1987. С. 422‒431; Ляшенко О. Г. Писанки. Бойківщина. Історико-етнографічне дослідження. Київ, 1983. С. 295‒297; Ляшенко О. Г. Писанки. Поділля. Історико-етнографічне дослідження. Київ, 1994. С . 434‒438; Ляшенко О., Горбаль М. Писанка. Лемківщина: у 2-х томах. Т. 2: Духовна культура. Львів, 2002. С. 317‒329; Олійник О. Писанка. Етнографічні групи українців Карпат. Гуцули. Харків, 2020. С. 324‒334; Олійник О. Писанка. Етнографічні групи українців Карпат. Бойки. Харків, 2020. С. 529‒536; Олійник О. Писанка. Етнографічні групи українців Карпат. Лемки. Харків, 2020. С. 303‒310. – Lyashenko O. Pysankas. Hutsulshchyna, 1987, Lyashenko O. Pysankas. Boykivshchyna, 1983, Lyashenko O., Horbal M. Pysankas. Lemkivshchyna, 2002, Lyashenko O. Pysankas. Podillya, 1994, Oliynyk O. Pysankas. Hutsuly/Boyky/Lemky, 2020 (in Ukrainian)
26 Повна версія статті буде опублікована в одному з найближчих номерів “Народознавчих зошитів”. – full version of the article will be published in the next issue of “Ethnographic notes”
27 У статті подаємо інформацію про походження писанок за тодішнім територіальним поділом ‒ повіти та губернії. У каталозі проекту вказано і сучасний поділ. – the information on the origin of pysankas according to their location at that time – counties and huberniyas (governorate)
28 Відомості для дослідження Ф. Крчека у 1897 р. збирало 199 інформаторів зі всієї території Галичини. Див.: Krček F. Pisanki w Calicyi. S. 201; Sokalski B. Powiat Sokalski. S. 210. – information on the research of F. Krchek in 1897 were collected by 199 specialists from all over Galicia
29 Sydorowycz S. Pisanki ukraińskie. Pisanki wszesnohistoryczne. S. 38. – Sydorovych S. Ukrainian Pysankas
30 Ibid.
31 Шухевич В. Гуцульщина. Ч. 4. С. 220. – Shukhevych V. Hutsulshchyna
32 Горняткевич Д. Роля жінки в повставанні українського нар. мистецтва. Нова Хата. Ч. 9. 1930. С. 2. – Hornyatkevych D. The role of women in development of Ukrainian folk art, 1930 (in Ukrainian)
33 Гургула І. Роля жінки у зберіганню людового мистецтва. Нова Хата. Львів, 1930. Ч. 1. С. 5. – Hurhula I. – The role of women in preserving people’s art, 1930 (in Ukrainian)
34 Інвентарні книги Музею НТШ. – Inventory book of NTSh Museum (in Ukrainian)
35 Інвентарна книга Музею НТШ № ІІ. С. 6. - Inventory book of NTSh Museum
36 З повітів Городенка, Перемишляни, Яворів. Див.: Krček F. Pisanki w Calicyi. S. 201. – From the Horodenka, Peremyshlyany, Yavoriv counties
37 Інвентарна книга Музею НТШ № ІІ. С. 16. – Inventory book of NTSh Museum
38 Інвентарна книга Музею НТШ № ІІ. С. 13. – Inventory book of NTSh Museum
39 Сидорович С. Українські народні писанки та використання їх орнаменту в сучасному декоративному мистецтві. Відділ рукописів Львівської національної наукової бібліотеки ім. В. Стефаника. Ф. 317. Папка 20. – Sydorovych S. Ukrainian folk pysankas and using their ornament for modern decorative art
40 Sydorowycz S. Pisanki ukraińskie. Pisanki wszesnohistoryczne. S. 39; Скорик М. Бойківські писанки (Нарис). С. 23. – Sydorovcyh S. Ukrainian pysankas
41 Fischer W. Pisanki na Huculszczyźnie. Ziemia. 1922. S .135. – Fisher V. Pysankas in Hutsulshchyna, 1922 (in Ukrainian)
42 Горняткевич Д. Роля жінки в повставанні українського нар. мистецтва. Нова Хата. Ч. 6. 1931. С. 4. – Hornyatkevyvh D. The role of women in development of folk art
43 Про ці питання маємо досить розлогі відомості, зафіксовані в Інвентарних книгах від інформаторів, які збирали їх та писанки для Музею НТШ. – we have quite detailed information in the Inventory books
44 Шухевич В. Гуцульщина. Ч. 4. С. 221. – Shukhevych V. Hutsulshchyna
45 Інвентарна книга Музею НТШ № ІІ. С. 38−39. – Inventory book
46 Онищук О. Як виготовити рослинні фарби. Писанка. 1994. Ч. 1. С. 9. – Onyshchuk O. How to prepare a natural dye, 1994
47 Krček F. Pisanki w Calicyi. S. 215. - Krček F. Pysankas in Galicia
48 Ibid. S. 226.
49 Ibid. S. 228.
50 Скорик М. Бойківські писанки (Нарис). С. 22. – Skoryk M. Boyky pysankas
51 Гургула І. Звичаї і повір’я, зв’язані з писанками. Нова Хата. 1928. Ч. 4. С. 4. – Hurhula I. Traditions and beliefs
52 Скорик М. Бойківські писанки (Нарис). С. 25. – Skoryk M. Boyky pysankas
53 Там само. - Ibid
54 Sydorowycz S. Pisanki ukraińskie. Pisanki wszesnohistoryczne. S. 43. – Sydorovych S. Ukrainian pysankas
55 Смолій Ю. Писанкарство. Історія декоративного мистецтва України. Мистецтво ХІХ століття. Том третій. Київ: ІМФЕ, 2009. С. 197. – Smoliy Yu. Pysanka making, 2009
56 Горняткевич Д. Роля жінки в повставанні українського нар. мистецтва. Нова Хата. Ч. 9. 1930. С. 3. – Hornyakevych D. The role of women in development of Ukrainian folk art
57 Щербаківський В. Основні елементи орнаментації українських писанок та їхнє походження. Студія. Прага: Видання українського історично-філологічного товариства в Празі, 1925. С. 7‒9. – Shcherbakivskyi V.
58 В кінці ХІХ ст. мотив “вітрячка” вважали одним з найпоширеніших у писанкарстві Польщі. Див.: Dowgird T. Pisanki. Wisła. T. ІV. 1890. S. 822. – At the end of the 19th century, the motif of “windmills” were regarded one of the most important in pysanka making
59 Горняткевич Д. Роля жінки в повставанні українського нар. мистецтва. Нова Хата. Ч 10. 1930. С. 3. – Hornyatkevych D.
60 Сумцов М. Писанки. С. 369. – Sumtsov M.
61 Скорик М. Бойківські писанки (Нарис). Табл. І (2/1), табл. 3 (10а). – Skoryk M.
62 Ластівка К. Орнаментика писанок на Буковинському Підгір’ю. Нова Хата. 1932. Ч. 5. С. 2. Рис. 1. – Lastivka K. Ornamentics of pysankas in Bukovyna pre-mountains, 1932
63 Шухевич В. Гуцульщина. Ч. 4. С. 226. – Shukhevych V.
64 Максимович М. Дні та місяці українського селянина. Київ, 2002, с. 34−35. – Maksymovych M.
65 Шухевич В. Гуцульщина. Ч. 4. С. 226 – Shukhevych V.
66 Янів В. Українська вдача і наш виховний ідеал. Нариси до історії української етнопсихології. Мюнхен, 1993. С. 211. – Yaniv V. Ukrainian temper and our educational ideal, 1993 (in Ukrainian)
67 Івашків Г. Мотив “вазона” в українській народній кераміці ХVІ ‒ першої половини ХХ століть. Народознавчі зошити. 2000. № 5. С. 860‒889; її ж: Декор української народної кераміки ХVІ ‒ першої половини ХХ століть. С. 260‒288. – Ivashkiv H. Motif of “flowerpot” in Ukrainian folk ceramics of the 16th – first half of the 20th century, 2000 (in Ukrainian)