Petrykivka: The Soul of Ukraine
Petrykivka decorative painting as a phenomenon of the Ukrainian ornamental folk art
Petrykivka painting is a traditional Ukrainian decorative painting style, originating from the village of Petrykivka in Dnipropetrovsk oblast of Ukraine, where it was traditionally used to decorate house walls and everyday household items. The earliest known examples of this style date from the 18th century, but it continues to thrive and develop as a modern art form. Petrykivka paintings are characterized by a number of core motifs that reflect the unity between humans and their natural environment, and the cyclical rebirth of life, expressed not only through artistic design but also through the annual need to renew, or refresh, the paintings on the homes’ whitewashed walls. These motifs find expression through certain key elements, such as the floral bouquet, which represents the “tree of life”; flowers – the beauty of nature; viburnum and hollyhock – feminine beauty; the oak – power and masculinity; birds – harmony; the cuckoo bird – the mystery of eternity; the firebird – happiness; and the rooster – the cyclical rebirth of nature. Petrykivka is also characterized by floral elements reflecting the diverse flora of the surrounding steppes, fields and forests, such as asters, poppies, tulips, roses, daisies, cornflowers, sunflowers, hops, grapes, strawberries, cherries, viburnum berries, and palmate and feathery leaves, all brilliantly transformed by the fantasy of the individual painter’s artistic imagination. In 2012, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine recognized Petrykivka painting as a part of the intangible cultural heritage of Ukraine, and it was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.
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