Search

• History
• Halls
• Exhibition archive
• Events archive
• Conferences archive
• Publications
• Posters Gallery
• Achievements
• Museum theatre

The virtual exhibition "Easter as a mirror of the Ukrainian world"

The third consecutive year, Ukrainian people celebrate Easter in such difficult time, the probation time, the time of the regular Russian-Ukrainian war in the east of the country, sending to the God prayers for the successful completion of military events and the restoration of the territorial integrity of our state - UKRAINE.

Since ancient times Easter in Ukraine was the largest and the most joyous spring holiday, which originated in the times of glorious Tripoli culture. Even then was determined a cosmogonic essence of this festival, has developed its unique and rich ritual, including the celebration of Verbytsia, eggs painting, loaf baking - Easter Babka; it is also a celebration of spring resurrection, renewal of nature that was mentioned in the vernal equinox the days of paganism, a celebration of spring sun and nature that was revived after winter sleep as a celebration of victory of light over darkness, day - over night, Spring light - over winter.

To your attention there is one of the pre-Christian versions of the origin of traditions of the Easter celebration: "the Resurrection of Christ Ukrainian people began to celebrate recently - after the official adoption of Christianity in Kievan Rus in 988. But there were both religious systems coexisted - traditional (pagan) and state (Christian).

Naturally, not only for decades, but for several centuries it’s hard radically change the ideological foundations of the people.

Ukrainians were long forbidden to carry on wires Easter eggs and Easter loaves which dedicated to the souls of ancestors. The famous religious leader Ivan Vyshenskyi wrote to the prince Kostiantyn Ostroskyi in 1599: "Dispose tombstones cakes and eggs". The clergy for a long time fought with "demons dancing"- ceremonial actions of Hayivky. But then, instead of fight, the Christian church decided to apply those folk rituals and customs. People started to sing the freckles after the Christian Easter near the churches, but not on the lawns near the water, as before, many texts of the freckles were processed in accordance with Christian morals, some keywords were just replaced.

If the process cannot be won, it should be led: the Christian church, which after the 3rd century BC didn’t have common with a real - original Christianity, the method of substitution of names and concepts applied. Folk festivals were given of the Christian name and Christian interpretations, but the rituals remain as they were – there was the imposition of Christianity in the People's customary faith with its gradual displacement. Rich ritual part of these celebrations, which remained for centuries, didn’t allow forgetting about the primitive people (pagan) festival, which were in our nation since ancient times.

But with the efforts of tsarist Russia (Orthodox Christians), Soviet power (atheists) and the current government (the eye - Christian, and in fact oligarh - atheistic) still continues to distort the true history and historical memory of the Ukrainian people, the sacred meaning of Easter eggs is away, the Easter Babka, Verbytsia, some archaic symbols and signs etc.

The ancient festivals and beliefs are forgotten or distorted. At one time due to both objective (the transition to a different calendar), and other known causes major holidays were shifted in time - and it leads to a complete loss magical effect of the holidays and interrupts the connection of past, present and future of the people". ( http://aratta-ukraine.com/sacred_ua.php)

The combination of the two faiths, two worlds - paganism and Christianity - until now it was preserved in the beliefs and rituals Ukrainian Easter.

The part of the virtual exhibition has the works on the Easter theme from the stock collection of the Kirovograd Regional Art Museum.

An interesting manner of writing is the painting "Palm Sunday" (2006) of the artist, who operates mainly in the field of easel, monumental painting and drawing from the city Alchevsk, Lugansk region, a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine V. V. Kozlov (1951).

There is one more indifferent painting "Still Life with Easter eggs" (2001) of the Kirovograd artist, a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine A. M. Dvorskyi (1948-2010), who at the time turned to painting and graphic heritage of the spiritual culture of our ancestors in search of the ideal modern reflection of the past. The images of his paintings are full of archaic power, expression, movement, energy, action. The powerful color, which was underlined by graphic lines and by the ornamentation of the language reinforce the symbolism and symbolic images.

The Kirovograd artist V. I. Osypenko (1958) has the works which were made in the traditional realistic manner, and experimental work was performed in the spirit of modernity. Often, these two areas are combined in a single canvas. "Easter Morning" (1994) can serve as an example a combination of tradition and innovation in the visual arts.

The decorative work "Still Life. Easter "(2009) of L. I. Zorina (1960) is made in bright colors.

We hope that the presented virtual exhibition will enrich your world on Easter traditions and customs of Ukrainians.