Vyshyvanka 2024

On Saturday 25th May we met outside Shaftesbury Town Hall to celebrate the nationality of Ukraine through the embroidered shirts that have become a symbol of Ukrainian nationhood.

We walked through the town, a small procession of Ukrainian guests, hosts and supporters of Shaftesbury Refugee Group, playing traditional and modern Ukrainian music and carrying the flag of Ukraine.

We paused at the memorial on Park Walk. The occasion was a reminder that it is over two years since the war against Ukraine was escalated with a full scale invasion by Russia.

That war continues and therefore it was important for the small community of Ukrainians to be together, to build community and to provide their children with a strong link to their heritage.

Children also need a childhood and so we picnicked in St James Park, played on the fabulous equipment and shared a quiz about the Vyshyvankas that most were wearing.

Vyshyvankas carry meaning in the colours of the threads, with regional differences and colours that say something about the social standing or status of the wearer. Many are stitched by family members and the cloth they are stitched on can also undergo special preparation.

Vyshyvanka Day 2024 was a lovely event, photographed as usual by Jamie Randall, whose work is natural and whose efforts support our charity enormously.