A special event took place at the Parish Hall of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church (Jamaica Plain, MA) as part of the 2025 Vyshyvanka Day celebrations. This year’s gathering focused on preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage under occupation, with the evening’s special guest being writer and civic activist Lesia Voroniuk.
The event was reported by Ukrainian School MA.
Guests were introduced to three major research publications released by the "Vydyvo" publishing house:
- "Imperishables. Ukrainian State Symbols in Folk Embroidery and Weaving"
- "Beads, Dots, Trinkets. Beaded Adornments from the Collection of Volodymyr Shchybrі"
- "Embroidered Shirts of Luhansk Region"
Each of these books is the result of painstaking work by the World Vyshyvanka Day team in collaboration with the Folklore and Ethnography Center of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, and the SVARGA collective. The Luhansk collection features over 100 embroidered shirts, jewelry pieces, and elements of traditional attire — all digitized, described, and translated into English for a broader audience in Ukraine and abroad.
A particularly emotional part of the evening was Lesia Voroniuk’s account of efforts to rescue authentic Ukrainian collections from frontline and occupied areas. Since the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion, she and her team have risked their lives to evacuate invaluable items of cultural heritage. These artifacts will eventually become part of the future Museum of Ukrainian Embroidery in Chernivtsi.
After the main program, attendees had a chance to speak with the author, ask questions, purchase books, and enjoy refreshments.
The event was organized by the Ukrainian Cultural Center of New England, Ukrainian School MA, and Christ the King Church. Special thanks were extended to all who helped bring the evening to life — for their warm hospitality, organization, and sincere community involvement.
“This is just the beginning. We hope that Lesia Voroniuk’s visit to Boston will be the first of many,” wrote representatives of the Ukrainian School MA. “What Ukrainians possess is a priceless treasure that must be courageously protected and passed on to future generations.”
The Boston meeting was part of a broader initiative — to spread awareness of Ukrainian identity, to honor its heritage, and to defend it on both the cultural and informational fronts.
Author: Danylo Pievchev