A Sincere Step into 2019 15 Ukrainian Celebrities Mark Ukrainian Holidays
Tina Karol, Jamala, Onuka, and 12 other Ukrainian stars join forces in the creation of a charity calendar – Schyry. Devoted to traditional Ukrainian clothing and special events, you’ll never forget what day it is with the help of these incredible images.
The history of Schryry (“Sincere”) began in 2014-15 when Ukrainian stars took part in a photo-shoot in Ukrainian national costume. The project became so popular it grew to quickly become a tradition, and in 2016 it continued under the theme Schyry. Spadshchyna (“Sincere. Heritage”). The subject of the calendar for 2019 – Shyry. Sviata (“Sincere. Holidays”).
Humble Beginnings
The project began as a social initiative, as according to the project organiser and managing director of the Domosfera shopping mall, Natalia Kravets. “We wanted to show how beautiful Ukrainian national costumes could be as well as to collect funds for charity. Now Schyry is a tradition. Through clothing, decor, and symbols, we tell the history of our holidays,” where all profits from the sale of the calendars are donated to the Ivan Honchar National Centre of Folk Culture.
In terms of numbers, the project amounted to 17 hours in the studio, 15 Ukrainian stars, and 20 different costumes depicting a 100-year history of Ukrainian clothing from different regions – western Podilia, Pokutia, Middle Dnieper, Hutsulshchyna, and Halychyna – where each month in the calendar is devoted to a traditional Ukrainian event. Tina Karol wore a unique wedding outfit picked up and safely moved from the Ivano-Frankivsk region, while Nata Zhyzhchenko of Onuka played the role of maid of honour.
“This is the third time I have taken part in the Schyry project,” says Zhyzhchenko. “It helps me feel the true depth of our roots. I have an embroidered shirt that came from my 87-year-old grandmother in Chernihiv, which is where my family originates from. My grandmother was part of a bandura trio, and this was her first concert vyshyvanka. Embroidered with beads, it is a real treasure.”
BRINGING IN THE “A-LIST”
Singer Jamala was also part of the charity project, dressing up in a traditional wedding costume for the first time. Her vyshyvanka features an octagonal star, which is a symbol of harmony, balance, and beauty. “To remember your roots and understand your history is important for every modern person,” shares the Crimean singer.
The ladies’ looks were supplemented with precious beads of blown glass, combined with ducats, amber, and vintage coral. Today, it is impossible to create decorations such as these. Coral used in the 18th and 19th centuries, for example, have forever lost their characteristic red-carrot colour due to pollution.
“The Schyry project offers an opportunity to respond in a strong, qualitative, and beautiful way to the public’s current interest in Ukrainian traditions,” says Honchar museum deputy director Miroslava Vertyuk. “Now is the time to restore the matrix of our holidays and streamline our traditions. If we can rebuild this stratum with the help of the calendar and unite society around these centuries-tested ideas and talents, this will be a significant result.”
The Schyry project exhibition opens on
14 November at the Ivan Honchar National Centre of Folk Culture (Lavrska 19). Or, take home a piece of the project by following this link: goo.gl/MunnwL
