May 1, 2020

Pysanky-making: Ancient tradition meets modern technology

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NEW YORK – Approximately 25 people from New York, Quebec, Florida, Arizona and elsewhere joined in a virtual pysanka workshop on April 5 that was hosted by pysanka artist Laryssa Czebiniak via the online meeting program Zoom.

Vasyl Stakhyra

Laryssa Czebiniak shows her pysanka creations.

The event was organized by the Ukrainian Institute of America and its Young Professionals Council, led by Anya Shpook. Ms. Czebiniak has been leading these pysanka workshops – typically attended in person – for many years with the UIA. This time, there was a profound coming together of modern technology necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic and an ancient tradition.

Ms. Czebiniak noted that the event was more relaxed than the typical workshop she has hosted in previous years and that, although there were many familiar faces, there were others she had never met before. The online format allowed her to answer participants’ questions and offer assistance in any way she could. The friendly atmosphere fostered creating pysanky in a broader community setting, with some trying their hand at the craft for the very first time.

This format, Ms. Czebiniak told The Weekly, encouraged participation with others; although the event was not the same as in years past, participants were grateful to be together making pysanky. One participant said she had not made pysanky in decades, and others said they were using homemade dyes and materials, including beeswax, as not everyone had been able to purchase the usual supplies.

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Laryssa Czebiniak works on her latest pysanka as she hosts the virtual pysanka workshop via Zoom.

Ms. Czebiniak was 5 years old when she made her first pysanka while living in Binghamton, N.Y. After she moved to New York City, the multicultural nature of the city fostered a cultural exchange and helped her to develop her pysanka-making experience. She explained that she tends to host one to two pysanka demonstrations or parties per year, even tailoring an event for children. The events have attracted both Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians.

This latest virtual workshop allowed participants to explore non-traditional motifs in their pysanky creations, with one participant from Canada drawing a raccoon on her pysanka.

Ms. Czebiniak also performs with the Ukrainian Village Voices singing group in New York, which also has attracted non-Ukrainian participants. Just as is the case with the pysanka demonstrations, non-Ukrainians are drawn in to this cultural tradition with its rich history, symbolism and connection to the ancient past.

 

Participant reactions

The reactions of participants to the virtual workshop on pysanka-making were highly positive.

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Two examples from participants of the virtual pysanka workshop.

Dianna Shypailo, 29, of Bethesda, Md., commented: “I’ve known Laryssa since I was very little, from when she was my camp counselor at Plast [Ukrainian Scouting Organization] many years ago. As a novice in the pysanky-dyeing space, I attended her live workshop last year and learned so much from her. She put together a helpful packet of how-tos, color flowcharts, popular designs to copy, and common pysanky symbols and their meanings that made the experience very accessible and interesting. On a personal note, Easter is one of my favorite holidays, mostly because I get to partake in traditions such as pysanky-dyeing that put me in touch with my Ukrainian culture. Connecting with other Ukrainians (and non-Ukrainians!) through the Zoom call brought me a sense of togetherness in this isolating time, and provided a sense of normalcy that I worried would be missing during this joyous holiday. Laryssa is a patient teacher, and an artist in her own right when it comes to this beautiful art form! I thank her so much for sharing her knowledge and bringing us all together.”

Iryna Kit, 28, of Staten Island, N.Y., noted: “I have to start by acknowledging that Laryssa is such a wonderful human being, so entrenched in Ukrainian heritage and culture. It is pure joy being her friend and in her life. I was so inspired and excited to initially attend her workshop at the Ukrainian Institute of America, however, since our current pandemic had other plans, Zoom seemed like the next best thing. Laryssa was patient and answered all of our questions, most of which dealt with color combinations and the order in which to place a pysanka in what color. It’s a science in itself, and a professional with so many years of experience like Laryssa guided us with confidence outside the simple ‘go from light to darker colors’ comment. She was a good listener and was engaged for the four to five hours that the workshop lasted. It was great to see people from all over America join, Ukrainian and not. Some people joined with their partners, kids and roommates. It’s such a meditative experience, and I am so grateful that Laryssa did not get discouraged and still had an online workshop.”

Andrea Hogan, 36, of Mesa, Ariz., enthused: “I loved the Zoom workshop! I have seen Laryssa’s pysanky workshops in the past and always wanted to attend, but because I’m in Arizona and she is in New York, it was never possible. It was awesome to connect virtually and provided a great activity to take my mind off of things while partaking in a beautiful tradition. It was also a special way to introduce pysanky to my daughter!”

Rose Czebiniak, 30, West Palm Beach, Fla., remarked: “For as long as I can remember, Easter season has always meant making pysanky with family in the weeks leading up to the holiday. One casualty to the pandemic this year was our visit home to New York for Easter weekend. While it is a minor loss compared to the bigger picture of the coronavirus, it was the first Easter that I have not been able to go home. Doing the pysanky workshop through Zoom brought some sense of normalcy to the season and helped to lessen the disappointment of not participating in the usual festivities. My thanks to Laryssa for arranging it and bringing everyone together! Khrystos Voskres!”

 

UIA’s virtual events

New Yorker Ms. Shpook, a UIA board member, said in an e-mail to The Ukrainian Weekly: “In an effort to stay connected with its members and the community, the UIA has launched a series of programs that can be enjoyed at home, including virtual gallery tours, film screenings, retrospectives and lectures. The UIA is also planning a virtual art exhibit opening, live panel discussions, and a live solo classical music concert. All programs can be accessed by visiting the Ukrainian Institute of America’s social media pages and website, https://ukrainianinstitute.org/.”

Having led pysanky demonstrations, parties and workshops since 2007, Ms. Czebiniak has dubbed these events “Larysanky.” Readers can learn more by visiting her Facebook page @Larysanky (www.facebook.com/Larysanky).

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