Transcarpathia is a special region in which Ukrainian traditions are closely intertwined with European ones. Its culture is influenced by the customs of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania and many other countries. Such a combination forms unique symbols that are not repeated anywhere in the world, including Transcarpathian embroidery. They will be the subject of our today's review. In this article, we will tell you how the embroidery of this region was formed, what makes it special and how to choose an authentic embroidered shirt today.

HISTORY OF TRANSCARPATHIAN EMBROIDERY

Today, it is believed that the culture of embroidery came to Transcarpathia around the 13th–15th centuries. Although Europe was already Christian at this time, the ancient pagan symbolism of patterns was preserved in this area. Circles in it meant the sun, rhombuses meant the earth, waves meant water, and triangles meant forests and mountains.

In the 15th–18th centuries, the embroiderers of Transcarpathia became richer. They were embroidered with expensive colored threads and beads. The wealthiest families could afford to weave lace and semi-precious stones into them. At the same time, embroidery becomes more complicated — unique motifs characteristic of Romanian and Hungarian culture appear in it. These are complex ornaments with stylized images of animals, birds and flowers.

The heyday of embroidery in Transcarpathia coincided with the stay of this region as part of the Austrian Empire. Western European motifs characteristic of Austria itself, Germany, the north of France, the Netherlands and even Scandinavian countries appear in it. These are plant motifs — images of vines and bushes, richly decorated with bunches and flowers. Vysyvanka Transcarpathia is becoming richer not only culturally. There is a fashion for weaving gold and silver threads, which serve as symbols of prestige and wealth.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Transcarpathia was under the rule of Czechoslovakia. In this period of rapid industrialization and social upheaval, traditional ornaments are somewhat simplified. Vyshyvanka of Transcarpathia return to classic geometric patterns woven into embroidered lace. Masters also experiment with different fabrics — fr om bleached cotton to silk.

In the Soviet period, the embroidery of Transcarpathia was not officially banned, but in fact it was not approved by the authorities. On holidays, it was allowed to wear shirts with standardized "all-Ukrainian" patterns, without regional differences. But people continued to protect the cultural heritage, secretly storing in chests both historical embroidered items received as a legacy and new ones created for special occasions.

Today, Transcarpathian needlewomen are experiencing a real revival. Modern masters experiment with various techniques — from simple geometric symbols of the Middle Ages to floral ornaments of the Austrian period. Preserving unique embroidered clothing is not just a tribute to tradition. This is the preservation of culture and national identity.

SYMBOLISM OF TRANSCARPATHIAN EMBROIDERY: WHAT THE ORNAMENTS MEAN

Ethnographers say that in the 19th and 20th centuries, the embroidery of Transcarpathia was dominated by octagonal stars, which were called "stars" or "pigtails". These are sacred symbols that mean connection with higher forces, the infinity of time and honoring ancestors. As in other regions, squares and rhombuses were quite common here. Quadrilateral symbols are signs of earth, stability, strength and power.

Women often decorated Zakarpattia's vyshyvanka with straight and slanted crosses at chest level - exactly wh ere they put a small cross during prayer. For them it meant righteousness, purity of soul and sincerity of faith. At the beginning of the 20th century, other patterns began to appear alongside these crosses - pigtails, ears of corn and plant ornaments.

The classic embroidery of Transcarpathia has very abundant embroidery with large squares. Various geometric patterns are sewn inside these squares, which vaguely resemble the shape of the leaves of local plants and trees, as well as the feathers of birds.

MAIN COLORS AND MOTIFS OF ZAKARPATTIA EMBROIDERY

Until the beginning of the 18th century, Transcarpathian embroidery was mostly embroidered with red threads. Only the wealthiest families could afford to sew multicolored shirts decorated with beads. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, the "Poltava" white-on-white embroidery technique came to Transcarpathia. The threads in it could have the same color as the canvas, or be slightly different in shade.

At the end of the 19th century, traditional red, black, and blue ornaments came back into fashion. And with the beginning of the 20th century, embroidery begins to play with different colors - yellow, green and orange threads are added to it, which are becoming more accessible thanks to the development of industry.

TRANSCARPATHIAN EMBROIDERY OF DIFFERENT REGIONS

In general, it is incorrect to speak of a single style of embroidery of Transcarpathia. In this region, each village could have its own unique culture due to differences in ethnic composition and occupations. Therefore, when reviewing the features of embroidery, regional features should also be considered:

in the Mizhhirskyi district, "reamers" with a deep cut on the armpit on the left side were popular. Next to it, rich plant ornaments were embroidered, which served as talismans against enemies and evil forces.

in Uzhhorod, they made unusual Transcarpathia embroidery, embroidered with complex broken lines - meanders. It is believed that they came fr om the ancient Greek culture, wh ere they symbolized the connection between the human and the divine. In the imagination of local residents, these were labyrinths designed to confuse evil forces and ward off curses.

in the villages near Volovets, ceremonial shirts were embroidered mainly in red and blue colors. They were characterized by rather detailed and realistic floral and plant ornaments, which were woven into a complex embroidery lace.

Lemkas from Tyachiv region had very characteristic embroidery of Transcarpathia with plant patterns that were repeated many times in long ribbons. They often experimented with sewing techniques - low, cross, smooth, etc.

in the Berehiv district, the ancient traditions of "white on white" embroidery were preserved for the longest time, and then - combinations of black and red colors. But from 1880 to 1930, realistic plant and animal motifs were popular here, consisting of centrally closed compositions.

it is the shirts from the Khust district that are today considered the classic embroidery of Transcarpathia. In them, you can see the sacred symbols that we talked about above - stars with eight rays, triangles of mountains and forests.

HOW TO CHOOSE AUTHENTIC TRANSCARPATHIAN EMBROIDERY: TIPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

First of all, it is worth remembering that the embroidery of this region is very diverse - it cannot be reduced to a certain standard. Therefore, you should not try to be guided by certain sewing techniques or features of patterns - choose exactly what you like. And yet Transcarpathian embroidery has its own characteristic features. First of all, it is a wealth of colors and a high level of detailing of ornaments. Her patterns are often woven into long ribbons or cover clothes with squares.

To make the embroidery look authentic, pay attention to the quality of its execution. Bleached fabrics and synthetics are a modern interpretation that has no relation to historical value. Real Transcarpathian shirts are made of grayish or yellowish linen fiber. They are sewn with bright, but not "acidic" threads. Choosing factory clothes will not be a mistake, because today they are of high quality. But if you want to get a really authentic part of the cultural heritage of Transcarpathia, you should look for a handmade embroidered cloth.