Kherson Artist Kateryna Chetyrina Revives Ukrainian Pysanka Tradition and Raises ₴5M for Defenders

Kherson-based artist and volunteer Kateryna Chetyrina recreates Easter eggs from southern Ukraine to keep this ancient art alive and remind us of our Ukrainian identity. In addition, thanks to her creative abilities, she creates products that remind us of the Kherson region and help raise funds for the needs of our defenders.

Home is our everything

Kateryna Chetyrina met thefull-scale invasion in Kherson. Despite all the dangers, she decided to stay and wait for liberation. She says she has never regretted her decision: "With the beginning of the occupation, I realized that I would never leave here, because home is our everything. No matter how hard it was during that occupation, we endured and defended ours. And, you know, I have never regretted that decision."

Her creativity helped her to survive the occupation. Thanks to it, Kateryna could not only distract herself, but also tell everyone around her what the occupiers were doing to the Kherson region. This had its risks, so most of her works were published only after the city was liberated.

"At first, I illustrated everything related to the war, so that people could see what was happening in Kherson and the country as a whole. My entire tablet was filled with pro-Ukrainian illustrations. But later, for security reasons, I had to be a little quieter, because the occupiers were looking for such things, it was an express ticket to the basement for interrogation. That's why I hid everything and waited for the right moment," says the Kherson woman.

While waiting for the release, she realized that thanks to her creative abilities, she could preserve and multiply everything Ukrainian, our traditions and culture, everything that Russia is trying to kill. So, after the de-occupation, she began to actively realize her plans.

No one should sit idle

Having recovered from the realities of the occupied city, the artist joined the volunteers who created the NGO "Kherson Help Center". Volunteering and warm feedback from people inspired the artist to create new works. Soon, her first themed postcards and skillfully painted shell casings with images of Kherson region symbols, its tourist gems and places familiar to every Kherson resident appeared. The girl used all of this to hold charity raffles and as a reminder of her region, which needs attention and protection.

Photo provided by the interviewee

"Volunteering is something that is more important now than ever. It is my way of being useful to my city and country. That's why I tried to combine good deeds and the power of creativity together with my then future husband. So, together with the team of the NGO "Kherson Aid Center" and other craftsmen, we managed to do a lot not only for local residents, but also for the defenders," says Kateryna.

In particular, thanks to the raffles, the volunteers have managed to raise almost UAH 5 million for the needs of the Armed Forces. The artist assures that neither she nor her colleagues are going to stop there, as they have a lot of requests from the front line. The artist is convinced that only by uniting and working together can we win a brighter future for Ukraine.

"No one should sit idly by now. Everyone must pave the way to victory. We also need to take care of preserving our traditions and cultural heritage for future generations, so that we appreciate what we have, know who we are, so that no occupier can take it away," the volunteer says.

Even through her own engagement, she and her husband managed to raise 15 thousand hryvnias for the needs of the defenders by raffling off posters created by the artist from her old photographs of Antonivskyi Bridge, Adzhyhol Lighthouse and Kherson's waterfront.

"I wanted to combine my joy with a good cause. This is a feature of volunteers and creative people. My husband supported my idea, so immediately after the marriage registration, which took place in Donetsk region, where my husband was then, we immediately put up such an appeal. And people supported it. In two weeks we managed to raise the necessary amount. It moved us to tears," Kateryna says.

Kateryna and her husband. Photo provided by the interviewee

Pysanka is a unique artifact of Ukrainian culture

Along with her volunteering, the artist continued to work on the realization of her long-held idea. She had long been observing the work of Easter egg makers in different regions of the country, so she dreamed of recreating the traditional Easter eggs of her native Kherson region and the Southern region. After all, they were and still are not just an Easter attribute, but something more, deeper.

"Pysanka is a unique artifact of Ukrainian culture, so I couldn't help but try. At first, I painted absolutely everything. It was various symbols, the coat of arms of the region in the shape of the Scythian sun, etc. But then I started thinking about what kind of Easter eggs are typical for our region and began active research. She found the answer in one single book by Vira Manko, "Samples of Ukrainian Folk Pysankas". One single sheet in so many books became my enlightenment in this matter. Then I told myself that I had to reproduce what I saw, because these are traditions encoded in ornaments and colors. The meanings and history of my land, which needs to be revived from the ashes after the invasion of the occupiers," the artist says.

Kateryna managed to paint her first Easter eggs on the eve of Easter last year. They became gifts for the holiday to her family. This year she continued her work and added new pieces to her collection. Now, among the Easter eggs she has recreated are Tulipans, Zastuptsi, Black Sea, 48 Wedges, Boots, Leaves, and Apple Tree. All of them combine colors and ornaments that symbolize the Kherson region.

Pysanky of the Kherson region. Photo courtesy of the interviewee

"In general, red, black, green, and yellow are the priority colors on our pysankas. They, like the ornaments, are mostly associated with nature, the earth, the endless steppe, the sea, the river, and birds in spring. And if you look at each pysanka carefully and thoughtfully, you can learn a lot about the region and the beliefs of our people," explains the artist.

The girl is convinced that even a child can reproduce pysankas nowadays, if he or she just tries, because this skill is imprinted in the genetic memory of Ukrainians. The traditional technique, of course, requires skill and patience, but all this comes with time. The main thing is to gather the necessary materials and tools (a pysachok, candle, beeswax, dyes and auxiliary tools), blow out the eggs with a medical syringe to make it easier to work with them, and draw a sketch of the future ornament.

"For painting, I use a special tool called a pysachok, which applies wax to the surface of the egg. It reminds me of the artistic technique of hot batik. After that, I dip the egg in paint. This process is repeated several times to create a multi-layered pattern. I pre-paint the places I want to leave light with wax. It is better to apply dark colors separately last. After the painting is finished, the wax is removed, and colorful ornaments remain on the surface of the egg," Kateryna says.

Photo provided by the interviewee

The craftswoman advises beginners to choose ordinary food or natural dyes, while more experienced owners should use professional aniline paints, which will last much better and longer. Also, it is worth wearing gloves to prevent the paint from digging into the skin. She notes that she followed all these tips herself, so she had no difficulties.

"I don't know if it was my art education or our genetic skills, but everything works out. Of course, there are times when the shell is too fragile and you have to change the egg, but it's not a problem. Just make an attempt after an attempt and everything will work out. This is how we revive our ancient traditions, which is especially important in times of war," the craftswoman emphasizes.

The Kherson resident also notes that she plans to continue recreating southern Easter eggs, so if anyone knows other samples or needs help in painting them, they can write to Kateryna on social media.

Ukrainians have always created beauty

In addition to reviving the traditions of southern Easter eggs, the artist decided to return to creating elements of Ukrainian national costumes. Thus, she began weaving folk jewelry - sylianky - which also helps raise funds for our soldiers.

"Ukrainians have always created beauty, so I want to continue this work. I feel a special connection with each new piece of jewelry, as if I am creating a piece of my soul. This is another antidepressant for me and an opportunity to contribute to the cause of victory, to popularize our culture far beyond the borders of the country and to remind us that we need international support. Some of my jewelry and other products with Kherson symbols have already been sold to Canada, Poland, Moldova, and other parts of our country," the artist says.

Photo provided by the interviewee

Kateryna also notes that in the future she plans to weave gerdans and kryshas as well, because all these jewelry, like sylianky and pysanky, reflect our identity, originality, culture, and history. Each product and element has a deep meaning, it is part of a great heritage that we preserve and develop together. This is our future.

Анна Шаповал