When we look at an embroidered shirt, we revive the ornament and activate the amulet left by our ancestors. The intertwining of colored threads conceals the original code of the Ukrainian ethnic group, the basis of our world view and the centuries-old aesthetics of our family.

To wear an embroidered shirt is to touch the cultural heritage, to feel the embodied beauty of the Ukrainian soul and to declare one’s identity. Ukrainians continue to bravely fight for the right to intergenerational dialogue, for the unity of the nation, and for embroidery on their chests and wrists.

A Ukrainian embroidered shirt is not only a beautiful garment, but also a reflection of the culture and way of life of each unique region of Ukraine. Each region of Ukraine has its own unique embroidered shirts. They differ in styles, colors, embroidery methods, ornaments and patterns. In the south and east of Ukraine, flower patterns appear on the embroidery.

Embroidered clothing is a constant feature of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, including the Crimean Tatars. But, of course, their embroidery differs from most of the typical embroidery of mainland Ukraine. Contrasts are important here (which can also be seen in folk outerwear). They often use floral ornaments in delicate colors, choosing each flower carefully. The name of this ornament is ornek. The intertwining of different cultures on the Crimean peninsula has formed a unique reflection of embroidery, which has taken an honorable place in the traditions of Ukraine as a whole.

The Crimean Tatar people, like no other, know what it means to protect their art, to preserve it thousands of kilometers from home, to glorify the voices of their ancestors both in 1944 and 80 years later. The elegant bukme, tatar ishleme, telli, and suzane captured the authenticity of Crimean Tatar floral ornaments: delicate in color and steadfast in strength.

World Vyshyvanka Day is a celebration of unity, love for one’s family, and pride in being oneself in any corner of the world, bringing the voices of ancestors to fellow citizens and the rest of humanity.