Podillia is a large ethnographic region located in central right bank Ukraine. The eastern areas were first settled during the time of the Trypillian culture.  More recently, large parts of  Podillia formed the easternmost reaches of Austrian and Polish “Galicia.”  Today it is divided among three oblasts:  Ternopil, Khmelnytsyi, and Vinnytsia. The area is largely agricultural, with rich chornozem.

The design/motif is more characteristic of eastern Podillia than western in its geometric pattern with ruzha motifs.  It has a triangle division, one that is frequently found in this region.   Below we have Onyshchuk’s photo (colors are off) on the left; a pysanka from Nemyrivshchyna in western Podillia is on the right (Kulzhynsky 1242).  You can see a similar division, placement of ruzhi, and color scheme.

The use of yellow/gold, red and black, as well as the use of bold but simple divisions is common in eastern Podillia.

Eight-Pointed Star (Ruzha)

Technical details: This is a moderately difficult pysanka, although geometric, it has much detail. It has a basic “Triangles” division.

As with most traditional designs, a medium y stylus is best for the lines, and of course a heavy one for waxing in.  

This pattern utilizes yellow/gold, red and black dyes. For the red, I prefer a deeper color, as opposed to a bright scarlet.  A mix of UGS scarlet and red (one pack each) gives a lovely result. To create a more traditional version of this pysanka gold is preferred to yellow dye.

The line width in the example above should probably been a bit heavier.  A traditional pysanka such as this, with a simple design, should have heavier (medium) lines. The fine lines work only because there is much coloring in.

Download these pattern sheets:

English

Ukrainian

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