Vyshyvanka Day in Vancouver
Lev Romanyshyn For NP-UN.
On Saturday, May 18, 2024, on the steps and on the grounds of the Vancouver Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver, the Vancouver branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) organized its celebration of Vyshyvanka Day.
UCC Vancouver President, Elvira Mruchkovska, MC’d the afternoon’s proceedings, which were opened by a prayer led by Very Reverend Mykhailo Ozorovych, followed by opening remarks by pani Mruchkovska and by pani Iryna Shyroka, President of UCC British Columbia. UCC Vancouver’s celebrations were tempered by the continuing war in Ukraine and Ukrainians’ commemoration of the 80th anniversary of The Genocide of the Crimean Tatar People.
Your correspondent had no idea about the origins of Vyshyvanka Day, presuming that it was an enactment of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada. Wrong! Pani Mruchkovska gave a precis of its origins, which prompted an investigation into how this observation started. According to Wikipedia:
“The idea of Vyshyvanka Day was suggested in 2006 by Lesia Voroniuk, then a student of Chernivtsi University. Ms. Voroniuk suggested that her classmates and students choose one day and wear Vyshyvanka shirts all together. Initially, a few dozen students and several faculty members wore embroidered shirts. But in the following years, the holiday grew to an all-Ukrainian level. Later it attracted the Ukrainian diaspora around the world, as well as supporters of Ukraine. The day of celebration was intentionally set on a weekday [ed. note: the third Thursday of May] and not in the weekend to emphasise that the Vyshyvanka is “a component of the life and culture of Ukrainians, and not an ancient artifact”.”
And, according to a couple of other websites:
“The Vyshyvanka has deep historical and cultural significance in Ukraine, dating back centuries. Each region of Ukraine has its own unique style of Vyshyvanka, featuring distinct patterns, motifs, and colors that reflect the local traditions and symbolism. The embroidered shirt holds deep significance as it symbolizes Ukrainian heritage, dignity and represents the resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of adversity.”
“Vyshyvanka unites Ukrainians worldwide. Vyshyvanka Day has become a symbol of unity and pride among Ukrainians worldwide holding immense relevance by honoring our homeland and showing support for the Ukrainian people.”
The theme for Vancouver’s Vyshyvanka Day was to introduce to the local Ukrainian community the Ukrainian organizations operating in and around Vancouver, specifically, how they are aiding Ukrainians, both in BC’s lower mainland and in Ukraine. Presenting were: Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group (operating rehabilitation summer camps for children of killed Ukrainian servicemen and servicewomen); Maple Hope Foundation (fundraising and donating humanitarian aid to Ukraine), BC United Way (assisting newly arrived Ukrainians, predominantly women and their children), Ukrainian Canadian Social Services (gathering and loading medical equipment and supplies into shipping containers destined for Ukrainian hospitals, clinics and orphanages – primarily those in the eastern part of the country, i.e., in the war zone), League of Ukrainian Canadians (one of the established Ukrainian Canadian organizations which now in particular gathers funds to aid the Ukrainian war effort) and Riy (gathering donations for funding drones). Your correspondent learned something new when preparing this article: “riy”, or “ рій” in Ukrainian, is a swarm, as in a swarm of mosquitoes or a swarm of hornets. A quite appropriate name for an organization raising funds to purchase swarms of drones to attack the invaders.
A Ukrainian event often showcases Ukrainian culture and Vyshyvanka Day was no exception. Performing several dances for the attendees’ entertainment were children’s and youth’s ensembles, Mriya and Hrushka and the adult choral ensemble, Kolo. Climaxing the afternoon’s events was a procession of models, under the direction of local artisan/fashion designer Tanya Znak, displaying Vyshyvanky from different regions of Ukraine.
Vyshyvanka models in Vancouver on May 18
A glance at the photographs accompanying this article show that most, if not all, attendees came wearing their own Vyshyvanky. It was by no means a scientifically rigorous study, but your correspondent would venture a guess that there wasn’t a duplicate Vyshyvanka in the crowd – a testament to the diversity and depth of our Ukrainian culture. Congratulations to UCC- Vancouver for an interesting and informative and well-organized event celebrating our beautiful Ukrainian Vyshyvanky.
Share on Social Media
