On November 23, 2023, at the invitation of Oksana Ponomarenko, the spouse of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Korea, we held a workshop on making “Motanka”dolls and “Didukh” for the spouses of the Ambassadors accredited in Seoul.
The workshop was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor-genocide of 1932-1933 in Ukraine. We presented a documentary about this tragic page of Ukrainian history to the distinguished guests.
Nowadays, when Ukraine resists russian aggression, it is important to preserve the national culture, which is our DNA. Therefore, we introduced the elements of Ukrainian cultural heritage to the participants of the workshop.
Each guest had an opportunity to create her own unique “Motanka” doll, which is traditionally used in Ukrainian households as an amulet and symbolizes female wisdom and family unity.
To decorate the guardian dolls we used fabric hand-painted with Petrykyvka. The ornament, which is usually used to decorate houses and household items, has been included on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2013.
We also used the modern Petrykivka paintings by the Ukrainian artist August Morfey for decoration.
In addition, guests hand-made a Ukrainian Christmas decoration from a sheaf of wheat, which symbolizes the wish for a bountiful harvest in the coming year and is placed in a place of honor in the house, gathering the souls of ancestors and ensuring their blessing for the family.
We express our gratitude to Mrs.
Ganna Kryzhanovska for holding the workshop and all participants for the incredible atmosphere and interest in Ukrainian culture