“Rushnyky” Invites Visitors Into Ukrainian Home

Stepping into the ​“Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles” exhibit at the Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center feels like stepping into a particularly cozy little house. Faux-stone columns and archways line the walls, framing display cases made to look like wooden cabinets. Lying within the cases and draped over the walls, the rushnyky — long, decorative or ritual clothes — draw the eye with their bright patterns and delicate lacework, transforming a sterile, unlived-in museum space into a warm and welcoming abode. In the words of the Ukrainian proverb printed on the wall, ​“a house without a rushnyk is not a home.”

Ukrainian rushnyky have an ancient history as both decorative adornments and spiritual talismans of protection. Traditionally, they were crafted from linen in a process outlined at the start of the exhibit: the fibers of the flax plant must be separated using a scutching knife, then parted using a nail comb called a hetchel. Makers of rushnyky then spin the resulting strands into yarn and weave that yarn into bolts of fabric.

The maker then chooses from among a variety of techniques, each designed to lend an individual beauty to the delicate cloth. Options include embroidery, such as the satin stitch or cross-stitch, just two of over 200 stitching techniques popular in Ukrainian culture. The embroidered fabrics feature designs, often floral, of such intricate elegance that they almost resemble a painting on a canvas.

Another common technique, merezhka, creates an effect like lace through many kinds of openwork. Makers cut and extract a portion of the threads to form a lattice design with artfully placed gaps in the cloth.

Rushnyky are staples of Ukrainian culture, used in everything from convents to weddings to funerals. Traditionally, a young girl spends her childhood crafting rushnyky to become a part of her dowry. In the wedding ceremony the couple stands upon a rushnyk called a pidnozhnyk. ​“It is said that the first to step upon the pidnozhnyk would have the last word in arguments,” informs a plaque beside a collection of rushnyky adorned with flowers, fruits, and scarlet strands of hope for a bright future. For funerals, houses, funeral carts, and the corpse itself are draped with rushnyky featuring crosses, and spidery suggestions of an open gate — the passage to the world of the dead.

Common symbols on rushnyky include the tree of life (derevo zhyttia), a symbol of protection said to ensure long life and happiness. Others feature detailed scenes of strife and struggle, such as historical rushnyky depicting anti-Soviet sentiments stoked during the Ukrainian-Soviet War, fought from 1917 to 1921, which ended in Ukraine becoming a part of the Soviet Union. Young women carry out their days bringing water from a well and caring for the cows, all the while mourning the loss of their drafted lovers. ​“Dear cow, eat the straw. Don’t hope for grass. / My darling was drafted for the Soviet war,” reads the delicately-sewed inscription. The rushnyk proves how art and household objects can be mediums of rebellion and political statement, breaching the gap of time to bring the viewer closer to that 1920s Ukranian girl, sharing in her loss.

Modern day rushnyky are seldom hand-made, and usually formed from cotton and polyester instead of traditional linen. Ukrainians can purchase them from factories where machines mass-produce the rushnyky, lacking in the personal touch. ​“One might lament the decline in craftsmanship but must admire the tenacity of the tradition to use ritual clothes, particularly in wedding ceremonies,” reads a plaque on the wall. Rushnyky have changed, but their symbolism and significance is still respected throughout Ukraine.

The current war in Ukraine against Russian occupation hovers over the exhibition. Russian leadership has attempted to erase Ukrainian culture, and seeks to impose the Russian language, traditions, and way of life onto Ukraine. Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles provides a strong rebuttal by displaying cultural artifacts that are distinctly Ukrainian. The exhibition allows the rushnyky to speak for themselves, and the story they tell is one of a cultural identity that Russia wants to convince the world does not exist. Providing a space and a platform for that story is in itself a political act of rebellion, and a love letter to Ukraine woven in linen and age-old tradition. The messages embroidered on the anti-Soviet rushnyky still ring true. They hang like battle banners proclaiming a defiant message: Ukraine has a culture of its own, and it is here to stay.

“Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian Textiles” will be on display at the Blessed Micheal McGivney Pilgrimage Center on 1 State St. until Sept. 10.