Ukrainian ethnologist: Symbols in vyshyvanka embroidery are a myth not supported by science

The embroidered shirt is no longer just festive attire and is breaking free from the dismissive Soviet perception. Despite the growing interest in traditional clothing, many myths still surround the vyshyvanka. Some believe in the secret codes of the ornaments, while others buy Chinese copies of shirts from online marketplaces.

In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Volodymyr Shchybria, director of the Center for Folklore and Ethnography at the Educational and Scientific Institute of Philology of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and academic secretary of the Vyshhorod State Historical and Cultural Reserve, talks about how to correctly refer to Ukrainian national clothing, why symbolism doesn’t play a significant role, and what makes Ukrainian embroidered shirts unique.

– What is the symbolism of the vyshyvanka, and how is it formed? Can we read it like a text?

– There’s no science behind it. Perhaps in some pre-Christian times, those symbols meant something, but they lost their meaning with time. That’s one hypothesis.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, ethnographers recorded no knowledge or interpretations about the meaning of the symbols. Interpretations like a fertile field, female principle, and so on – all of these are fabrications with no elementary scientific confirmation. In the 19th–20th centuries, the embroidered shirt was a decoration and nothing more.

There is the concept of folk clothing and the traditional embroidered shirt. Apart from that, there is the concept of the vyshyvanka. So, we need to understand what exactly we’re talking about and what we’re presenting. If it’s ancient traditional embroidery, there are certain canons and characteristics.

But when we speak of the vyshyvanka, not the embroidered shirt, it’s already a modern item that can be anything, embroidered with anything.

– According to what canons were vyshyvankas created?

– The ancient item is the embroidered shirt. Women’s shirts were long in most regions of Ukraine. They had a distinct structure and traditional cut characteristics of specific areas. Ornaments typical to the region, color palette, composition, and placement of these ornaments–all varied by region.

This tradition still lingered in the early 20th century. But by the mid-20th century, the phenomenon of the vyshyvanka emerged. It’s a continuation of the old shirt, but an imitation.

– Tell us how embroidered shirts differ in various regions of Ukraine.

– Of course, each region has its own distinctions. This is seen in the embroidery's color scheme and palette. For example, the Poltava region is characterized by white-thread embroidery, mostly but not only by it. Podillia is characterized by black embroidery, Polissia by red, and the Carpathian region by polychromatic embroidery, with many colors in one garment.

The cut also varies – inset or non-inset sleeves, the way the sleeve is attached to the shirt’s body (sewn to the base or lower part), and whole-cut shirts. All these indicate the region of the shirt's origin.

– What was the difference between women’s, men’s, and children’s vyshyvankas?

– Men’s and women’s shirts differed. Men’s shirts were mostly tunic-like, with a different cut than the inset-sleeve women’s shirts. Ornament placement also differed – for instance, on women’s shirts, the focus was on the shoulders and the front, while men’s shirts were adorned on the collar, cuffs, and hem.

Shirt, apron, and waistband from village Khoromne, Chornobyl district, Kyiv region, which doesn't exist anymore (Photo: instagram.com/volodymyr_shchybria)

– Why do we still assign meaning to these symbols if they don’t have any?

– There are many myths surrounding it. Sensations and scandals always spark more interest than simple facts. These are the myths that surround our traditional culture, year after year.

– How were embroidered shirts used in various rituals?

– In most regions of Ukraine, new shirts were made for weddings – woven and embroidered specifically for the wedding ritual. Often, they were preserved throughout life and used to bury a person. So, they wore them but very carefully to preserve them, not to wear them out.

I often heard in expeditions around Ukraine that when girls got married, they would say: "I have my wedding shirt, so I’m saving it for my second wedding." But the second wedding meant their funeral.

– Is it true that only unmarried girls could wear shirts with roses?

– All old ornaments were geometric. Until the mid-19th century, floral designs weren’t embroidered. Later came the "Brocade" embroidery, which replaced the old geometric patterns in many areas.

What you mention is something circulating online, but it’s someone’s fantasy.

Two Polissia shirts made in techniques of "ryzzia" and "zavolokannia." Both belonged to the same person and come from the Volodymyrets district, Rivne region, Polissia (Photo: instagram.com/volodymyr_shchybria)

– How has our national clothing changed in the direction of mass production? I’m especially interested in the influence of Soviet policy.

– It used to be a very labor-intensive process. For example, making fabric took nearly a year. Hemp or flax had to be sown in spring, and only by the following spring could one have cloth – the plants had to grow, be harvested, soaked in the river, broken down, beaten, combed, spun, and woven. Only then could clothing be made.

Naturally, the availability of factory-made cloth simplified life – people no longer had to make fabric themselves. The development of the light industry also didn’t support traditional styles.

Stylized blouses, now called vyshyvankas, replaced embroidered shirts.

– How can we distinguish today a vyshyvanka and an embroidered shirt? Do we even have any embroidered shirts left?

– Personally, I don’t like the word "vyshyvanka." To me, it has a connotation that devalues the embroidered shirt. Today, there are embroidered shirts – or vyshyvankas, if you prefer – decorated with traditional ornaments that reflect geographical characteristics.

And then there’s Chinese clothing made in a folk style. In recent years, many artisans have emerged who create modern embroideries based on old museum samples or private collections.

– What is your view on modern designer embroidery on shirts?

– I have a positive view, absolutely. It’s a matter of taste. If a designer has a taste and a concept, then, of course, that’s great.

– Do you think it’s okay to buy embroidered shirts on Aliexpress? Should Ukrainians wear them?

– There are many artisans where you can find that. Machine embroidery has become more creative in recent years. So, there’s no need to look for such clothing on Aliexpress.

– How do you think the vyshyvanka is perceived today in Ukraine? Is it something conservative, or has it come into the spotlight in a good way?

– I think it’s definitely stepping into the spotlight in a good way. Besides being beautiful, for many people, it represents belonging. Not just national belonging – it’s a broader phenomenon, about Ukraine and Ukrainianness as a whole.

Traditional Ukrainian outfit from the Kherson region (Photo: instagram.com/volodymyr_shchybria)

– What do you think about Vyshyvanka Day as a holiday? Is it necessary, or is it too folksy?

– On the one hand, we’re moving toward tradition. On the other hand, there’s a downside. Especially in state institutions, I know people are simply forced to wear vyshyvankas. That doesn’t help people grow to love them – there can be no reconciliation this way. It must be voluntary.

Secondly, I think the state sets a proper tone. People still want something more interesting and beautiful. And especially during the invasion, this clothing has gained new significance and quality. Compared to 10 years ago, there’s a huge difference.

– When did people wear embroidered shirts in the past – only for holidays or regular days?

– Shirts were divided into everyday and festive ones. Festive shirts were few. The everyday shirt was the one worn while working.

Now, shirts with ethnic motifs suitable for daily wear are seen as creative. So today, given the times, we can wear embroidered shirts daily or on special occasions – it's up to each person to draw that line.

– What is the difference between Ukrainian embroidered shirts and Russian or Belarusian ones? Why aren’t they the same?

– It’s hard to answer. Embroidered clothing exists on every continent. Of course, all neighboring countries had embroidered shirts – Romania, for example. Do shirts in other countries differ from Ukrainian ones? Yes, they do.

But the difference is hard to trace and explain. For instance, the kosovorotka cut isn’t strictly Russian – it’s also found in Ukraine and came from the East. Belarusians and Poles have it too.

It simply replaced the traditional embroidered shirt cuts that were popular before the war in the 19th century.

Shirt from the Buchatskyi district, Ternopil region. Embroidery with woolen threads on homespun hemp fabric (Photo: instagram.com/volodymyr_shchybria)

– If embroidered shirts are common in almost all countries of the world, especially those surrounding Ukraine, then what makes ours unique?

– I wouldn't call them unique, because embroidered shirts exist among most people of the world. The only thing is that for us, embroidered clothing has become more than just clothing. It has become a marker of our identity, and today we often interpret it as a connection to Ukraine.

In other words, it reflects our belonging to this land, to this state. This kind of phenomenon isn’t observed in other countries. Even if it exists, it is isolated, whereas in our case, it’s a mass phenomenon.

Another aspect of uniqueness is in the development. In modern times, embroidered shirts are constantly evolving, becoming more complex, with new solutions emerging, and designers are actively working. That is, we see a more dynamic mass process here than in other countries.

However, in Europe, national clothing is also being taken to a new level, for example, Bavarians, who have a more conservative mentality, reproduce exact copies. More kitschy versions are created for various festivals and events.