It was the first time such a large team had gathered to photograph representatives of domestic show business in traditional Ukrainian images. For the first time, but not the last. And recently the project received an annual extension as a new charity calendar.
Indeed, the project has become so popular that the release of the calendar has become a good tradition to gather Ukrainian stars and make beautiful photos in traditional outfits. In fact, the idea of the event was initially only a social one: its initiator Natalia Kravets and the team wanted to show how beautiful our people are when they wear the clothes that nature has commanded us. It was because of the colorful images that they wanted to demonstrate the greatness of the Ukrainian people. And then the project became a charity: the money raised was transferred to good works.
Holidays are approaching, holidays are every day
Each month on the calendar is decorated according to one of the main current holidays. The images, the clothes, the entourage and all the other details are designed so that you can at a glance guess what the highlight of the event is.
The main goal of the project is 2-in-1: to show the beauty of a genuine Ukrainian soul, decorated with national clothes, and to raise funds to support and cooperate with the National Center of Folk Culture “Ivan Gonchar Museum”. Absolutely all the proceeds from the sale of the calendar will be used for the development and projects of the museum.
The photo session lasted for 17 hours. During this time, the filmmakers managed to try on over 20 different images and to visit different roles of an authentic Ukrainian family. Together, they were able to portray the 100-year history of traditional Ukrainian clothing in different regions of Ukraine. There is a place for Hutsulschyna, Galicia, and Pokuttya.
Impressions of project participants
This year, the project was joined by: ONUKA, Tina Karol, Dakh Daughters participants Solomiya Melnyk and Natalka Galanevich, Jamala, Hryhoriy and Christina Reshetnik with children, prima ballerina of the National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Kateryna.
Tina Karol tried on the image of the Hutsul bride. In order to create her photographs, she was specially searched for and brought unique clothes from Ivano-Frankivsk region. It is a cotton shirt and cross stitch with a jacquard belt. A special decoration of the photos was a wreath of dry shoots, beads and curly haircuts.
Nata Zhizchenko of ONUKA took on the role of senior friend. She had an incredibly original image: a square wreath and unusual shoulder wear. During the shoot, Nata mentioned her grandmother, who is 87 years old. She presented her granddaughter with a very old embroidery from Chernihiv, where their whole lineage came from. The shirt is embellished with beads and the old fabric is used for it. Nata Zhizchenko is sure that she will dress such a treasure for a very special event in her life.
Jamala wore a wedding dress of incredible beauty. In her opinion, it is the wedding and the ceremony of dressing the bride that are sacred to the family. One day, she attended a traditional wedding in Volyn and was fascinated by the fact that she made several Volyn details for her own celebration.
Each participant was deeply passionate about everything that was happening within the project. Representatives of Dakh Daughters group Solomiya Melnyk and Natalka Galanevich are convinced that our history and traditions are able to strengthen the national spirit and confirm that we are together, not alone. The girls wore lavish shirts with fashionable brocade embroidery and Kalamak belts and were photographed against the background of cooked lizards from pastry according to an ancient Ukrainian recipe. By the way, our ancestors met spring with such flavors.
The new 2019 calendar is now on sale. If you are inspired by the idea of the project or just love everything traditionally Ukrainian – order yourself a copy. This will complement the interior of your home or office and become part of the good work! You can order your charity calendar here:
In addition to the calendar, the project organizers announced a photo exhibition. It will start on November 14 at the premises of the National Center of Folk Culture “Ivan Gonchar Museum”.