Flowers That Bloom for Generations:
Meet Petrykivka Painting
A small village in eastern Ukraine has become a home for the fantasy world of a hypnotizing art style that in 2013 proudly entered UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This art style is called “Petrykivka painting” or simply “Petrykivka.”
What is Petrykivka?
Petrykivka painting (Ukrainian: “Petrykivskiy rozpys”) is a decorative ornamental painting style. It originated in the Ukrainian village of Petrikivka in the 18th century. Since then, it has become a trademark of the Ukrainian folk culture.
Petrykivka style is characterized by repetitive, elegant, strokes of vibrant, colorful paint. This orchestra of lines and colors produces fanciful plant and animal shapes that serenade the fertile and fruitful land of eastern Ukraine and pass the wisdom of Ukrainian people through centuries and generations.
Petrykivka ornaments decorate the walls of Ukrainian houses, household appliances, jewelry, and even fabric goods. Such prominent figures as Richard Nixon, Mao Ze Dong, and Fidel Castro received vases featuring Petrykivka ornaments as gifts during their visits to USSR.
Today, this art style continues making waves in Ukraine with its new generation of artists committed to preserving Petrykivka heritage and helping this art phenomenon thrive and flourish.
"My Flowering Land" by Valentina Deka, 1979
Source: Petrykivka.blogpost.com
Petrykivka village on the map of Ukraine (top) and on the map of the Dnipropetrovsk region (bottom)
Roots and History of Petrykivka Painting
The exact origin of Petrykivka Painting remains a mystery, but this mystery gave birth to many interesting theories. Some historians believe that this art style first appeared in the 14th century, and some think it originated in the pre-Christian times on the terrains of Kievan Rus. However, the majority agrees that this cultural phenomenon, as we know it today, began its journey through history in the village of Petrykivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region in the 18th century when the first community of Ukrainians settled there.
The settlers used to decorate the walls of their houses, household appliances, and furniture with this type of ornament to welcome big holidays like Easter and New Year. It was a sign of prestige and good character. Moreover, the villagers believed that these ornaments could protect them from evil spirits and bad luck. Homeowners who didn't decorate their houses were considered careless.
Some homeowners drew ornaments on their own, while others invited artists to do the work for them. Originally, the villagers used plant- and animal-based paint, but it faded away very quickly. So, once a year, the drawing had to be corrected or repainted. In the 19th century, with the integration of synthetic paints into Ukrainian markets, Petrykivka murals became more durable and preservable. Artists didn't have to revisit the houses to fix the ornaments anymore, so they started drawing on paper and selling their works instead. This turned Petrykivka into a commercial asset.
Photographs from the 1920s capturing a decorated house in Petrykivka village
Source: Petrykivka.dp.ua
At the beginning of the 20th century, Ukrainian ethnographer Dmytro Yavornytskyi conducted extensive studies of the Dnipropetrovsk region. As a result, he shared with the world the names of the first officially recognized Petrykivka specialists: Tetiana Pata, Nadia Bilokin, Yaryna Pylypenko, and Paraska Pavlenko. These Petrykivka artists remain the only representatives of their artistic generation whose works, with verified authorship, can be found in the museums today.
Throughout the 20th century, Petrykivka firmly grounded itself as a professional technique. In 1936, a school offering a two-year decorative painting program opened in Petrykivka village. The first instructor at the school was the famous artist Tetiana Pata. (The school is still in operation.)
Tetiana Pata (1884 - 1976) Works: "Pano," 1951 (top) and "Peacocks,"1949 (bottom)
Source: Petrykivka.dp.ua
Factory artist decorating a plate with Petrykivka ornaments
Source: Petrykivka.dp.ua
In 1958, Petrykivka artists established a professional factory and studio in the village with painter Fedir Panko in charge. By the end of 1958, the studio employed a total of 16 artists. The production actively grew and developed over the years. In 1980, the factory became an official provider of souvenir goods for the Olympic Games in the Soviet Union.
The assortment of products made at the factory eventually grew to 60 titles; they included wooden household appliances like plates, utensils, jewelry boxes, vases, and decorated fabrics like bed sheets and table covers. The factory exported its goods abroad to countries like the USA, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, and Poland. Factory artists participated in international exhibitions in Canada, Germany, and Mongolia. According to Petrykivka.dp.ua, Richard Nixon, Mao Ze Dong, Fidel Castro, and Joseph Titto received porcelain vases decorated by Marfa Tymchenko, a prominent factory artist, as gifts during their visits to USSR.
Left to right: dishes painted by modern Petrykivka artists (2009-2011), a historic Ukrainian house decorated with Petrykivka painting (1920-1950), a Christian icon with floral Petrykivka ornaments (18th century), a video summary about Petrykivka painting (2013)
Source: Ich.unesco.org
With the rise of the economic hardships in Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, consumer interest in folk art began to decline. Even though people enjoyed looking at the ornaments and learning about the art style, not many were willing to spend money and purchase the artworks. In 2004, the factory announced bankruptcy, and in 2006, it got liquidated. But the tradition of Petrykivka painting went on. Petrykivka became the village of artists who preserve this art phenomenon and share it with the world.
In 2012, The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine recognized Petrykivka painting as an object of the “intangible cultural heritage of Ukraine.” And in 2013, UNESCO inscribed Petrykivka on its List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it the first Ukrainian entry on this list.
Title from the source: "UNESCO committee member adds the finishing touches to the biggest bihunets in Ukraine." Bihunets is a long vertical or horizontal line of a continuous ornament. Source: Petrykivka.dp.ua
Kryvyy Rih Botanical Garden, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
Source: Tripadvisor.com, User: Natalia O
Themes and Spirituality in Petrykivka Art
Petrykivka painting comes to life through colorful brushstrokes that vary in shape, size, and color. The strokes combine to form fanciful plant and animal figures. Sometimes, the paintings feature Ukrainian people and their lifestyles, but this theme is less popular.
The colorful and diverse nature of the Dnipropetrovsk region serves as an inspiration to the villagers. Petals, leaves, stems, and small berries interwind with wondrous birds, animals, and sometimes, people to create a visual fairytale that documents the natural beauty of flora and fauna in the Dnipro River area.
This fairytale, however, is not only about physical beauty. It illustrates Ukrainians’ vast love and appreciation of nature and the world around them. It reminds the viewer that humans are not the center of the Universe; that they are only one part of it, like a petal, a fruit, a stem, a leaf, or a bee.
Moreover, Petrykivka ornaments have symbolic and spiritual meanings. For example, flower symbolizes the highest manifestation of beauty; it represents the perfect Earth and nature. Viburnum and mallow stand for femininity; oak is the symbol of the sun; cuckoo signifies the mystery and the endless flow of time; rooster represents fire, spiritual awakening, and the rebirth of the soul. And other birds symbolize light, harmony, and happiness. These symbols are used to protect people from evil spirits and bad luck.
"Two Roosters" by Valentina Deka, 1986
Source: Petrykivka.blogpost.com
"Steppe Summer" by Maria Kravets, 1977
Source: Petrykivka.blogpost.com
"Firebird," a decorated wooden plate; currently selling for $18 (670 UAH) at Ipetrykivka.com
Often, Petrykivka combines illustrations of both real-life and made-up plants and animals. Some popular elements of the ornament - roosters, bees, small birds, mallows, peonies, asters, and field flowers - imitate the real nature in Petrykivka village. And some elements are either invented by artists or borrowed from Ukrainian folklore.
For example, one popular character in Petrykivka painting is Firebird - a mythological creature from Slavic folk literature. It is a large bird with bright glowing feathers. In the Petrykivka tradition, it is a symbol of happiness.
The theme of happiness is the key element in Petrykivka paintings. These ornaments are always bright and full of positivity. This is what really sets Pertrykivka apart from the rest of Ukrainian art, which often depicts the times of scrutiny in Ukraine. Petrykivka never depicts scenes of sorrow or hardships - only happiness and love. It uplifts the spirit of the onlooker, inspires, and energizes.
In her interview to Ukrainskiy Interes [The Ukrainian Interest], a contemporary Petrykivka artist Halyna Nazarenko said, “If you analyze Petrykivka paintings, you can say that there is no negativity in them. People say, ‘Petrykivka exists to be pleasing to the eye and make souls happy.”
"Happy Sorochyntsi" by Marfa Tymchenko, 1996. Velyki Sorochyntsi is a popular village in central Ukraine.
Source: Petrykivka.blogpost.com
"The Wedding" by Hanna Isaeva, 1977
Source: Petrykivka.blogpost.com
The Petrykivka Technique
The Petrykivka technique features four main stroke types: hrebinets (“comb”), zernyatko (“seed”), horishok (“nut”), and perehidnyi mazok (“transitional stroke”).
Hrebinets starts with a thin, whisker-like line produced with the tip of the brush and ends with a thick "bulb" made with the base of the brush. A row of these brushstrokes with "whiskers" pointed downward becomes reminiscent of a comb or “hrebinets.”
Time code: 1:35
Zernyatko is just like hrebinets, but its "whisker" part is shorter and must be drawn upward. Two adjacent rows of these strokes look like an ear of wheat. Hence the name: “zernyatko” or “seed.”
Time code: 2:30
Horishok is composed of two bent hrebinets strokes put in front of each other. When an artist fills the circular area between the strokes, they receive a shape that looks like a hazelnut, which explains the name "horishok" ("nut").
Time code: 3:15
A video tutorial covering the different types of Petrykivka brush strokes
Source: YouTube, Anastasia Sabadash
Hrebinets, zernyatko, and horishok can be drawn with one solid color or with a color gradient of two shades. When an artist applies a gradient, it means that they use perehidnyi mazok (a transitional stroke). This type of stroke is done with one brush dipped in two colors. (You can see artists Anastasia Sabadash, in the video above, and Valeria N., on the right, use transitional strokes in their tutorials.)
A dry brush is first dipped into one color and then into another. When the artist draws horishok or zernyatko, he or she gets a stroke that starts with the second color and slowly transitions into the first one.
For example, the brush dipped in green paint and then in yellow would produce a stroke that starts with a yellow color and gradually changes into green.
Petrykivka artists never mix paints. They achieve color gradients, shades, and tones only by dipping brushes in different colors - never by mixing the paint separately.
The brushes are typically handmade with cat hair. The hair from other animals is too harsh. Therefore, it doesn’t create such elegant lines as soft and smooth hair from cats' cheeks or chests.
New artists usually begin their work with a pencil sketch, but more experienced specialists create the "sketch" in their minds and paint on a blank surface.
A video tutorial demonstrating perehidnyi mazok. Source: YouTube, Valeria N.
Handmade brushes crafted with cat hair; sold in the Ukrainian online store for 80 hryvnas [$2.18 ] per piece
Source: Prom.ua
Contemporary Petrykivka-ornamented household objects;
Left to right: green cutting board, blue cutting board, red Christmas ornament, black jewelry box
Source: Etsy, Petrykivkagifts
The official brand logo of the village artists
Petrykivka's coat of arms
Petrykivka Today
Since the 1980s, Petrykivka painting has been modernizing and transforming. Contemporary artists see Petrykivka as a personal craft, not just as an ancestral tradition. Thus, they practice more creative freedom. If in the past Petrykivka was always drawn on white background, today these ornaments are also applied on black, green, blue, and red surfaces. Every artist uses their own imagination and inspiration to create unique illustrations.
Contemporary Petrykivka practitioners are working all across Ukraine and even outside of Ukraine. But the paintings produced in the village of Petrykivka hold a special value. This place became a Ukrainian folk brand; not only figuratively but quite literally. The village artists have a unique brand logo that helps them authenticate their work. There are currently 45 registered specialists working in Petrykivka. They eagerly pass their knowledge to the younger generation to preserve the long-lasting Ukrainian ornamental and decorative tradition. And they offer educational programs for all ages that help children and adults master this art.
Today, the village visitors can enjoy a trip to two independent folk art museums to see the decorative masterpieces featured on canvas, kitchenware, and jewelry. Tourists can even gain a hands-on experience in the Petrykivka technique by working alongside renowned painters.
Petrykivka has always been a predominantly female craft. But in contemporary practice, men are equal participants. Some of the most recognized contemporary Petrykivka artists include Valentyna Deka, Andrij Pikush, Nina Turchyn, and Kateryna Tymoshenko.
Petrykivka's visitors can commission village artists to paint custom ornaments on various items including dishes, household tools, and accesories. Additionally, customers can purchase ready-to-use decorated goods to keep as souvenirs or give as presents to their friends and relatives.
Top and bottom: Petrykivka Museum of Ethnography, Household, and Folk Art, Petrykivka, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
Source: Petrykivka.dp.ua
How Can You Get a Hold of Petrykivka Painting if You Are Not in Ukraine?
If you live far away from Petrykivka but want to acquaint yourself with this art, consider online stores that offer Ptrykivka-decorated goods. There are countless options for every budget. Additionally, you can find numerous free and paid courses and master classes available on the Internet in different languages, including English. Here are just some resources for you:
Painted goods and prints
Artist Kateryna Kryvolap Petrykivka Shop
Design Bundles Petrykivka Patterns
Courses
Artist Kateryna Kryvolap Online Art Course "Petrykivka for Beginners"
Coloring Pages and Video Lessons on Etsy
Books
Petrykivka: Painting a Ukrainian Heritage
Free resources
Petrykivka - Ukrainian Folk Art: Digital Floral Illustration on Skillshare.com
