Malanka

Year Created: 2023 Medium: Fabric, paper, string, wood, cardboard, paint Size: 8 x 2 x 7ft Malanka is one of the brightest celebrations of the year in Ukrainian culture. Vodinnya kozy (Walking with the goat) is one of the traditions practiced for centuries by Ukrainians during this holiday. The goat represents the spirit of a field that hides in the last sheaf of wheat collected during the harvest. The girl figure symbolizes a girl named Malanka, who is the main character of the event. The straw figure is the devil, whose role is to steal the souls of other characters. The figure with a wheat face is Didukh (Grandfather spirit), who traditionally decorated Ukrainian homes during the winter holidays. The storks usually would fly away for the cold winter, but this one stayed with a cozy blanket decorated with ancient Ukrainian symbols. The brightest character of the celebration is the star that follows every group of carolers. Malanka was banned during the USSR, and now during the Russo-Ukrainian war, the celebration of Malanka became a sort of resistance itself. Exhibited at cUkraine, Wrigley Building, Chicago, IL & Anelya, Chicago, IL