As an ethnographer and folk artist, I practice cultural diplomacy through the creation of Ukrainian Easter eggs or pysanky (singular: pysanka). Making pysanky is a deep-rooted tradition incorporating an ancient technique that began on the territory of present-day Ukraine thousands of years ago. Originally, it was a pre-Christian spring ritual. Eggs, decorated with symbolic motifs, were believed to hasten the return of the sun god and encourage the rebirth of nature after a long winter.

The ongoing tradition of making pysanky served to reassure people that their world would continue to exist, if they didn’t stop decorating eggs. According to folk legend, a monster, who is the embodiment of evil, lives chained to a mountainside. If the adornment of eggs ceases, the monster will break his chains, escape from his cave, and destroy the world.

With the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the pysanka tradition became my weapon of choice against this evil. Using my social media platform, I asked people of all ages, all backgrounds, artists and non-artists, Ukrainians, and non-Ukrainians alike, to create a pysanka decorated with traditional motifs and technique and send it to the Ukrainian Institute of America, where it would to be added to a collective display/installation – a community action. This initiative quickly became a defiant response to the aggressor, a response to those who are determined to destroy the people and culture of Ukraine. This installation is not static; it constantly evolves and expands as more and more eggs are received and added to the exhibit.

Within the physical framework of this installation, pysanky are placed laid out arbitrarily, on a rough woven burlap cloth which covers a large wooden stand, evoking its affinity with the earth. In Ukrainian mythology, earth-soil is highly symbolic, as evidenced by an old saying to wish someone good fortune: “Be healthy as water and rich as the earth.” The deliberately random placement of these pysanky means that no particular artist-participant or specific egg is highlighted. It simply shows strength in numbers — a primeval, cultural strength.

A rushnyk (ritual cloth) decorates one section of the exhibit. The rushnyk is a talisman, a protector against evil. Other traditional elements from Ukrainian mythology also embellish this installation. Barvinok (periwinkle), which is always green, appears as a symbol of everlasting life. Kalyna (guelder rose), with its deep red berries, represents beauty and is the unofficial symbol of Ukraine. Pshenytsya (wheat stalk) denotes Ukraine as the breadbasket of Europe. A candle wrapped in red ribbon is included to honor all the souls, military and civilian, that perished during this time of war. The color red in Ukrainian mythology serves as protection for these souls from evil. Ultimately, the assembly of mythologic and symbolic elements create a unified talisman, a powerful force for imminent rebirth; for everything to exist, for everything to be good.