UKRAINIAN COSTUME

This generously illustrated album-monograph is dedicated to one of the brightest marvels of traditional culture — the Ukrainian national costume. It is a phenomenon that embraces material, spiritual and artistic treasures of Ukrainian nation. It is an important contribution because the history of costume mirrors many dimensions of human development and reveals the integration of body, mind and spirit as an aesthetic whole with all of its social facets. A comprehensive study of clothing preserves valuable historic information about national character and reveals many layers of social, casual, ceremonial and chronological trends. The research material upon which this volume is based, is especially valuable as it draws upon different aspects and diverse perspectives. For these reasons, Ukrainian national dress is portrayed as an important historical national phenomenon that was formed over the course of many centuries. It begins with the early Slavic period from the initial stages of primary clothing forms. It traces common and local Ukrainian features that have been evolving through the process of inter-ethnic coalescence during different periods. Striking reconstructions of historical costumes demonstrate an advanced artistic culture of Ukrainians whose talents were woven into a myriad of eras: Kyiv Rus', Middle Ages, Baroque, Classicism, and Romanticism. It is also shown how it contributed to later stylistic trends, all the way up to modem times. This book clearly represents 19th century Ukrainian traditional costume, complete with its classical local variations. Detailed cut outs and decorations, drawings of clothing elements and elaborate reconstructions call out artistic characteristics of our national costume as a distinctive aesthetic phenomenon. Attention is also paid to an analysis of the creation process so that one can see how technique and methods of composition present an inexhaustible source for contemporary designers and artists today. Complete artistic costume reconstructions are unique and extremely important because they are proven authentic by documents. Within this framework, a combination of the field, museum, archive, literature, decorative and scientific research materials hold validity. In addition to using reconstructions by different talent from different times, the book distills details from original sources reflecting specific historic periods. A broad scope of types of Ukrainian people adds another dimension to the depiction of evolutionary cultural processes. A Ukrainian woman has always had elegant taste and a refined sense of beauty. She would spin, dye, weave, and sew every detail of her clothing at home. The finished garment would be decorated by applique and artistically hand embroidered. Every element was intentional; each performed its unique function and carried a special meaning that would organically strengthen the general aesthetic composition. Both the creation of each costume component and the very process of dressing were performed with a certain consistency and were accompanied by special rituals. Costume details and ornaments always contained guardian symbols. All these components are fundamental to understanding the essence and dynamics of the Ukrainian character. The beauty of this unique encyclopedia of clothing is that while it is the historic definition of dress, it also delves into the aesthetic and ethnic riches of Ukrainians. The inexhaustibility of material and ideas about traditional cultures provides boundless space for methods of self-expression and implementation of new creative ideas and discoveries. It functions as a foundation upon which our contemporaries' talents can flourish. That is why this book is so precious. It is the result of the long creative path paved by its author — researcher, historian and artist — who shares with us not only scientific revelations, but a panoramic vision of the beauty and power of her native culture.