The Ukrainian refugees keeping an artistic Easter egg tradition alive in wartime
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Loading... - Nicole Gabe
- 11 Apr 2023
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‘I wanted my children to know our Easter tradition even though we are in another country now,’ says one mother
Liliia Sierkova joined 100 Ukrainians last week creating intricately decorated, colourful Easter eggs at a workshop organised by the Reading Ukrainian School.
The council worker and her sons Itan, seven, and Neitan, four, fled their village in the Kyiv region shortly after war broke out, hearing explosions and gunfire near their home. Ms Sierkova’s husband, who is of fighting age, was unable to leave with them.
Ms Sierkova now rents a small flat and the boys are at school, but she is eager to keep them connected with their home country.
“I wanted my children to know our Easter tradition even though we are in another country now,” said Ms Sierkova. “It’s important to know where you come from as it adds to the sense of meaning and dignity.”
Neitan was just learning how to speak when he arrived in England. He only speaks English now and she works hard to remind him of Ukraine. “I keep singing Ukrainian folk songs at home for my boys,” she said. “If you get your children to learn your songs, language, traditions this will not just be information, it will become a part of your heart which you will never forget.”
In Ukraine, children and adults annually adorn eggs known as pysanky with symbols, patterns and designs laden with meaning using wax and dye. For refugees, the tradition has taken on new meaning.
Ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest in May, Liverpool ONE shopping centre is hosting a display of giant pysanky designed by local children and the Ukrainian community.
Zoreslava Rebot, a nurse from Lviv, was living in Bielsko-Biała in southern Poland when war broke out in February 2022. By chance, her son was there so avoided conscription. But he was desperate to return and defend his homeland.
“I told him, we don’t know what will happen next,” she told i. “Let’s stay here and try to help from this side of the border as we can, either financially or anything we can possibly do.” He reluctantly agreed, but Ms Rebot says he suffers from depression. Read More…
