The Pysanka: A Symbol of Hope
A Living Installation of Ukrainian Easter Eggs 


Ukraine is under brutal assault. Ukraine’s people are perishing. Ukraine’s culture, its theaters, museums and churches are being destroyed. Ukraine’s soul is fighting for survival. In the face of such inhumanity, we are all Ukrainian. We are all called to Ukraine’s defense.


Sofika Zielyk, an ethnographer and pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg) artist is also fighting back. Her weapon of choice is the ordinary, humble egg.

Together with the Ukrainian Institute of America (UIA) and the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organizations (WFUWO), Ms. Zielyk conceived and produced a communal and participatory exhibition of the pysanka. This initiative encourages children and adults of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages to enrich a living installation of pysanky (plural of pysanka) by con-tributing their own egg, hand decorated using traditional Ukrainian techniques and motifs. This installation is an ongoing, living, and evolving endeavor. As more pysanky continue to arrive — in person, and by mail from all over the world — the installation will grow in size and symbolic power.

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