"Folklore is the artistic expression of the most fundamental beliefs of a culture. It articulates ideas about the relationships among people and between humans and the world around them. It is the key to understanding a culture at the grassroots level." (Kononenko, "Folklore Ukraine" 2018)
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Ukrainian and Carpatho-Rusyn cultures have an ancient tradition of integrating ritual textiles into every aspect of daily existence. These textiles with their elaborate symbol systems act as ritual objects that mark many events and transitions throughout life. As a member of the Hutsul-Rusyn Ukrainian diaspora, I believe that learning and teaching about these traditions is an important effort of cultural preservation that also strengthens the connection between the diaspora and our homeland. It is also a necessary challenge to the homogenizing effects of capitalist hegemony, and is a crucial act of cultural reclamation integral to healing intergenerational trauma.
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Ukrainian and Carpatho-Rusyn freedom to practice cultural traditions has long been repressed under numerous empires and regimes, amounting to many incidences of cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing in addition to political oppression over the last few centuries alone. The current Russian occupation of 2014 is the latest example of Ukraine's seemingly never-ending struggle to be a sovereign, self-determining nation with a right to their own unique culture and language(s).