The symbolism behind a humble and colourful piece of clothing grows more poignant as Putin’s deadly invasion of Ukraine continues.
Central to the country’s culture and history, vyshyvanka “serves as a powerful reminder of Ukrainian identity,” said MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk as the spring sitting of Alberta’s legislature wound down this month.
The UCP’s parliamentary secretary for settlement services and Ukrainian evacuees, Armstrong-Homeniuk represents Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville. The riding east of Edmonton is often associated with Ukraine culture and immigration.
Each Vyshyvanka Day, held this year on May 15, Ukrainians and others of Ukrainian descent from around the world dress in “a garment packed with symbolism,” she said.
Patterns and colours vary by region of origin, and vyshyvanka designs are often passed down from generation to generation. “This means each one has its own beauty, but they all share a common trait. They are a proud statement of community, unity and heritage.”
In 1891 waves of immigration to Canada from Ukraine began. Statistics Canada put the number of Ukrainian Canadians in 2021 at about 1.3 million people or nearly four per cent of the population.
Today about 400,000 people in Alberta alone are either from Ukraine or, like Armstrong-Homeniuk, have Ukrainian ancestry.
In February 2022, Russia continued its history of aggression and expansionism against Ukraine with an all-out invasion. The war’s death toll has likely passed one million people.
Although Ukraine is not yet a member of NATO, the treaty organization “condemns in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine — which is an independent, peaceful and democratic country, and a close NATO partner.”
NATO and its allies are supporting Ukraine and “helping to uphold its fundamental right to self-defence,” the organization says on its website.
Armstrong-Homeniuk also spoke of a recent fire that destroyed parts of the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, 50 km east of Edmonton.
“Those buildings contain irreplaceable artifacts that told the stories of generations of Ukrainian Canadians, but with us, the descendants, those stories remain,” said Armstrong-Homeniuk. “As long as we gather to remember our heritage through celebrations like Vyshyvanka Day, our heritage cannot be destroyed. Not by wildfire, not by war.”
