Petrikivka

The soul of Ukraine

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Petrykivka art originated from an ancient decorative painting tradition in central Ukraine, where it began as painting on interior and exterior adobe whitewashed walls, ceiling beams and hearths, as well as decorative painting on furniture, boxes and wooden kitchenware.

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.