Alberta Pysanka Workshop has International Appeal

On March 20, 2008, members of the Kule Centre for Ukrainian and Canadian Folklore showcased Ukrainian culture to students from around the world by running a pysanka [Easter Egg writing] workshop for the University of Alberta International House.  The team was lead by Natalie Kononenko and Peter Holloway, with student assistants Svitlana Kukharenko, Yanina Vihovska, and Greg Holloway.

The University of Alberta attracts students from around the world.  Its outstanding programs in nanotechnology, computer science, medical science, its strength in the humanities, plus its practical programs in areas such as forestry, food science, print making, and museum studies make this the destination of choice for more than 2700 students from 128 countries.  The newly constructed International House is a residential complex that provides inexpensive housing right on campus for students from abroad.  International House also hosts cultural activities and the coordinator of these activities is Amanda Gabster.  This year’s Pysanka Workshop was part of the International House cultural program and it was arranged at Gabster’s initiative.  It was the first Ukrainian event to be held at International House.  More than 30 people attended.  They included students from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, England, Scotland, Estonia, Iran, Panama, Mexico, Columbia, China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Kazakhstan, the United States, Russia, Ukraine, and, of course, Canada.  Interestingly, the students from Ukraine had not learned how to write pysanky in their home country and were learning this ritual craft as part of their cultural program in Canada. 

The workshop began with students watching Slavko Nowytski’s pysanka video.  Kononenko then talked about Ukrainian traditions and the technical aspects of writing a pysanka while Holloway showed a three-dimensional digital program which he wrote to demonstrate some of the more complicated points of pysanka writing.  Each student then made his or her own pysanka under the direction of the Kule Centre students and staff . 

The results were beautiful and student comments reflected their satisfaction.  One student said, “You Ukrainians have interesting traditions!  I like them.”  Another said to a member of the International House staff that the pysanka workshop was the best event held all year.  Many students said that they were going to purchase their own pysanka supplies so that they could continue the tradition of the pysanka.