Ukraine’s geographical location has placed it at the crossroads of cultural influences of the East and West. From the civilisations of the Ancient World to the Byzantium, many historical forces played an important role in the development of its culture. Active trade routes that lay through Ukraine facilitated cultural exchange and interaction between different regions. As a result, many aspects of Ukrainian culture and traditions retain the touch of brief historical encounters. Ukrainian traditional wear is one such aspect, having evolved to reflect Ukraine’s deep historical roots that date back to the early influence of Kyivan Rus while serving as a visual indicator of the progression of Ukrainian traditions. Indeed, it is the traditional costumes of Ukrainians that can be described as a vast repository of the spiritual heritage of the people, uniquely demonstrating their distinctive national identity.
Below you will find an insightful overview of Ukrainian traditional dress, its intricate details and unparalleled style, reflecting the versatility and sophistication buried in the cultural heritage of different regions of Ukraine.
Embroidered shirt
The main component of traditional Ukrainian costume is the shirt, which was the only clothing worn by Ukrainians until the early 1900s. Embroidery has always adorned the shirt, called a vyshyvanka, which is a symbol of national identity and tradition.
Skirt
Traditionally, the coarse hand-woven woollen skirt is decorated with bright patterns in horizontal or vertical stripes and worn over the shirt.
Waist garment
Right on top of the shirt, a waist garment – kraika or zapaska – typically adorns the lower part of the figure, functioning as a belt.
Outerwear
Ukrainian traditional outerwear is sleeved and can either be a plain jacket or a sweater made of factory fabrics. For a long time, these jackets were worn alongside embroidered shirts and chest garments as an ensemble.
Chest garment
A common feature of a traditional Ukrainian outfit is a chest garment resembling a sleeveless vest that is worn over a shirt, covering the upper body. Like embroidered shirts, the chest garment frequently features pleated lining, embroidery, and applique that will vary depending on the Ukrainian region it is from. The garment has many names, among them horset, bruslyk or katanka.
Elements of costume
Ukrainian traditional dress in different regions
Dnipro River Region
Region in northern and central Ukraine
The traditional costume of the Kyiv region dates back to the times of Kyivan Rus. It is the Rus period that should be considered the starting point for the development of traditional dress in Ukraine. It is important to note that girls and young women had the right to wear embroidered shirts with rich decoration. The older a woman got, the less embroidery she wore. This was strictly regulated, so after the age of 60, a woman could wear a richly embroidered shirt only twice a year — at Christmas and Easter. The most beautiful outfits were prepared by girls for their weddings, after which they would hide them in a chest and keep them for the rest of their lives. This tradition is inherent in all of Ukraine, but it originated in the Kyiv region.
Middle Dnipro River Region
Region in central Ukraine
Compared to other regions, Poltava's clothing is quite lavish, as its development dates back to the Baroque period. At that time, there were many Cossack villages and towns on the territory of the modern Poltava region that adopted fashion trends from Europe. The Poltava region is characterised by its distinct embroidery patterns primarily woven with red and black threads and consisting of more than a hundred different stitches. The ancient outer garment of Poltava women was a shushun, widened with several counter pleats from the waist, along which the so-called “red eyes” (red triangles of cloth) were sewn behind, with a collar and a veil. It was made mainly of dark cloth or lastik, a thin lining fabric.
Slobozhanshchyna
Region in eastern Ukraine
Kharkiv region was settled rather late due to constant attacks by invading armies from elsewhere. From the beginning of the 18th century, Ukrainians from Right-bankank Ukraine [editor’s note: Right-bank Ukraine is a territorial name of a part of modern Ukraine on the right bank of the Dnipro River] and eastern Poltava region settled here. After the invaders' era passed, cities developed here, inhabited mainly by merchants and craftsmen. Crafts began to concentrate in Kharkiv. Clothing in the Kharkiv region was influenced by Poltava. However, it does not have the same elaboration and colour, but is more practical, according to the circumstances. Given the later settlement, home crafts were less developed here. In the Kharkiv region, the korablyk cap has been preserved. It is a narrow, oblong hat made of cloth with a lining. It is surrounded by another material - velvet or fur — which fits closely to the head on the sides and creates one or two horns in the front and back.
We invite you to take a trip back in time, where you will be able to examine and comprehend the styles that have remained imprinted in the history of Ukrainian clothing through the prism of several regions from different parts of Ukraine that have firmly written their mark on fashion history during the twentieth century.
Podillia
Region in western and southern Ukraine
Long ago, hunting and nomadic tribes settled in Podillia and became farmers. It is Podillia that is the cradle of Trypillian culture, which had a huge influence on the formation of folk costumes. For a long time, clothes retained their ancient shape, especially in women's belted clothing, which is mostly dark in colour. The horbotky, as the belted clothes in Podillia are called, were girded with wide belts woven from strong woolen threads, and in villages above the Dniester, they were red and black. In the eastern parts of Podillia, the belts were striped, outlined in black, 10-15 cm wide, and up to 3 m long.
Northern Bukovyna
Region in western Ukraine
The clothes of Bukovyna's inhabitants have retained some signs of Byzantine ornamentation to this day. They cut and sewed a fitted shirt without a collar. The top edge, as well as the sleeves, were finished with trim.
The festive shirt was lavishly and richly embroidered. The placket, called plechyky (“shoulders”), consisted of several bands of embroidery, often encircled with gold or silver threads. Below the setter was a morshchynka ("wrinkle”), a common transitional pattern of green or yellow embroidered with a darning stitch.
Explore more about traditional Ukrainian costume at Ivan Honchar museum
Property of Ivan Honchar Museum. Kyiv, Ukraine
Halyna Telmashchuk
Ukrainian folk headdresses and Ukrainian folk costumes, 2018
Photos
Sources
Fedir Vovk
Studies on Ukrainian ethnography and anthropology, 2022
Credits
CURATOR
Olga Kostiuk
CO-CURATOR
Kvitka Perehinets
ILLUSTRATOR
Meri Hrytsyk
DESIGNERS
Oleksandr Kryvets, Anastasia Chervinska