March 26, 2022

Direct from Kyiv: Ukrainian Egg Decorating

with Vera Sukhorukova

2-4pm EDT

online via Zoom
donation information listed below

Buy access to this program in the SOFA section of the FAC Music Shop.

About the Program

Vera Sukhorukova lives in the small town of Boyarka, southwest of Kyiv, Ukraine. Since childhood, she has been engaged in traditional Ukrainian crafts, including several styles of embroidery, the “Petrykivka" style of folk painting, beadweaving, and more. Her family has a tradition of making krashanki (colored eggs) and pysanki (eggs decorated with patterns and painting) for Easter. Vera learned to make krashanki from her grandmother, and from her mother she learned the art of making pysanky.

In this program, Vera will give us the story of psyanky - the traditions, the meanings, how they are created. Then we will be able to make our own, following along in real time as she shows us how!

To participate, you should have the following items on hand:

  • Hard-boiled egg. Wash with soap in advance.
  • Food coloring or egg coloring. Pick any two colors, preferably one brighter than the other.
  • Have water and white vinegar available for mixing.
  • A thin beeswax candle and matches to light it. Paraffin candles do not work well.
  • Paper towels.
  • A plate or some other way to prevent your egg from rolling away.
  • A candle holder from which you can easily remove and replace the beeswax candle.
  • A cloth or plastic to protect your table and yourself from staining would also be advisable!

About Vera

Outside of traditional Ukrainian crafts, Vera's other great passions are horseback riding and dancing. She learned Ukrainian folk dances from an early age, and for the last five years she has been studying and teaching waltz and historical dance at the studio Vintage Dance Community in Kyiv. Vera is 38 years old and works as a manager in a company that deals with professional video equipment, but she is currently studying interior design, which she plans to make her next profession. She will be aided in translating by her friend Oleksii Kryvenko.

About Oleksii

Oleksii Kryvenko, our volunteer translator, is 39 years old and lives in Kyiv, where he works for an international localization company as a translator and editor in Ukrainian, Russian, and English. With his wife and dance partner, Svetlana, he both dances and teaches historical dances of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and modern social dances. He and Svetlana were the first to introduce the cross-step waltz in Ukraine.

About Donating to this Workshop

FAC will be directly supporting Vera and her family with a stipend for her time and effort in producing this workshop.

In order to support the people of Ukraine at this urgent time, the Folk Arts Center of New England will not ask for donations to our organization for this event. Instead, we ask that you consider donating to one of the humanitarian organizations listed below, or to another of your choice.

Humanitarian Aid Organizations

(in alphabetical order)

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF):

Make a donation to MSF
Charitywatch information about MSF

“MSF has a longstanding presence in Ukraine, including in regions of eastern Ukraine that have been affected by armed conflict since 2014. We have now had to halt normal activities in Ukraine and are mobilizing to launch emergency operations. We currently have teams in Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, Russia, and Belarus. MSF is an independent and impartial organization committed to providing medical humanitarian assistance to people affected by the war no matter who they are or where they are.”

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Make a donation to IRC
Charitywatch information about IRC

“Over 3.5 million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine. The IRC is on the ground in Poland supporting displaced children and families with vital supplies. Your gift will help us provide food, medical care and emergency support services to families whose lives are shattered by conflict.”

Razom for Ukraine

Make a donation to Razom for Ukraine

"Razom initiates short and long-term projects, or collaborates on existing projects with partner organizations, which help Ukraine stay on the path of fostering democracy and prosperity. We’ve grown a diverse community of volunteers and collaborators across the US and Ukraine which allows us to create spaces where people can meet, partner, and execute on these projects."

Save the Children

Make a donation to Save the Children
Charitywatch about Save the Children

“Save the Children has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, including in the conflict-impacted regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. This includes supporting their access to education, providing psychosocial support, distributing winter kits and hygiene kits, and providing cash grants to families so they can meet basic needs such as food, rent and medicines, or so they can invest in starting new businesses.

Our specialist teams are also provide children with access to safe, inclusive, quality education. Together with schools and community centers, we work to help children overcome the mental and psychological impacts of their experiences of conflict and violence, and increase their resilience and ability to cope with stresses in their daily lives. “

World Central Kitchen

Make a donation to World Central Kitchen
Charitynavigator about World Central Kitchen

“World Central Kitchen (WCK) is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. When disaster strikes, WCK’s Chef Relief Team mobilizes to the frontlines with the urgency of now to start cooking and provide meals to people in need. Deploying our model of quick action, leveraging local resources, and adapting in real time, we are able to respond to multiple disasters at once — often on opposite ends of the world. By partnering with organizations on the ground and activating a network of food trucks or emergency kitchens, WCK provides freshly made, nutritious meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. We know that good food provides not only nourishment, but also comfort and hope, especially in times of crisis.”