Wedding Vinok Instructions



The Ukrainian wedding wreath is called a vinok. The word is related to the Ukrainian word for a marriage ceremony - vinchannya. It is a lovely symbol of everlasting love to wear a wreath of evergreen periwinkle - barvinok in Ukrainian. Even in the autumn and possibly under the snow in a protected area you may find periwinkle growing, protected by its mystical evergreen properties. The amazingly delicate strands of this prolific ground cover are gathered, and wound together to form a wreath.

The actual process is rather simple. Take two longish strands and cross their ends. Taking a third strand, place it between the two strands. Using one of the outside strands, simply wind the barvinok a couple of times to bind the three. Hold the bound part closely in your fingertips. Repeat the process with more strands, step by step, binding each individually. The closer you place the leaves one to another, the more lush the wreath, however the green strands woven together this way look beautiful too.

The vinkopletennia event is traditionally a collaboration of women who beautify the wreath for the bride. Remember to pass the wreath through many hands, pinching the last twining.




 The young bride will appreciate the many hands, young and old, who witnessed her transition through the marriage preparations, and the vinchannya.  In this case, the bride's baba played a very important role.  The entire vinkopletennia was beautiful however BABA's blessing, wisdom and loving welcome made it perfect.

My gentleman florist friend believed that the evergreen wasn't beautiful enough and tried to hot-glue on little white baby's breath flowers - didn't work. Then he did some research and discovered individual sheets of gold leaf to overlay onto the leaves - which might have worked on hardier leaves or perhaps a dry product - not worth the bother. Then a young bride mentioned that a bit of gold spray paint might shine up the leaves - but the concensus among the ladies was that the barvinok itself was beautiful enough.

Gather enough long, long strands for the wreath. Keep them clean and cool in a bowl. When the wreath is measured correctly to fit (remember to make two to fit the married couple's heads), you need not crush the strands too harshly with bobbypins.

Storing the wreath(s) between weaving at the vinkopletennia and the vinchannya (marriage ceremony) is important. Keep the wreath cool, wrapped to prevent it drying out, possibly misting the leaves to make them shine.

A vinok, made by many hands, together at a vinkopletennia is a beautiful gift for a bride.  The ceremony, the tradition, togetherness, life, love and hope everlasting - what a way to start the next part of her journey through life!

http://ukrainiancalgary.blogspot.ca/2012/08/flowers-family-future-vinok.html

http://ukrainiancalgary.blogspot.ca/2012/07/vinkopletenia-in-calgary-2012.html


  

PLAST 100th Anniversary

Kat Owad's photo of Daria Storoschuk and Michael Kyzmyn September 22,2012
 

After the lovely evening of celebrating PLAST's 100th anniversary, Stanichna Marusia Ilnysky and a pantheon of able leaders in the PLAST Calgary group must be feeling remarkably satisfied. What a great time!

The Saturday celebration began with a Divine Liturgy at St. Stephens's Ukrainian Church, followed by a PLAST gathering that honored the littlest scouts, down to the Founder of the International Scouts Movement Lord Baden-Powell, Ukrainian leaders Tysowsky, and honored the recently reposed Oleh Kandyba of Toronto too. It was a very moving event, that all the participants are sure to remember for a while. PLAST leaders from Toronto, and Edmonton's groups were able to participate, as were guests from Kyiv, and across Canada. Grandparents, aunties and uncles all enjoyed the event!

Picture perfect moments included the 100 hands who helped to light the ceremonial vatra in the hall, tableau vignettes of PLAST's history, and an operatic version of Cinderella in Ukrainian acted by PLAST Calgary's parents and instructors. Just so generous and fun!

The banguet meal was delicious, and the generous support from clergy at St. Stephen's made for a perfectly rounded out evening. Proud parents walked the tired little ones out of the facility in a haze of Ukrainian folk songs, folk tales, Ukrainian humor, and community unity. Diakuyou and congratulations to PLAST on their first 100 years of cultural/educational work with Ukrainian youth, here in the diaspora and in Ukraine.

 



An Energy Story

Calgary people who work in the energy industry like to keep tabs on energy stories elsewhere.  With oil companies of every sort in the city, Calgarians are connected in some small way to some of the world's biggest energy producers, including Shell and Chevron - Europe's biggest.  So it is interesting that Ukraine has been seeking alternatives to its dependence on Russian gas imports.   Recently Shell won a tender to start commercial production (shale gas extraction) at the Yuzivka field in eastern Ukraine. 

You may wonder where this opportunity is located.  Way back in 1869, a Welsh businessman called John Hughes established a steel mill and several coal mines in the area at the heart of the Donetsk Basin, south east of Kyiv, on the Kalmius River.  They called it Yuzivka in his honor, but the industrial opportunity caused a "wild-west" experience that grew into a city of 50 thousand.  In the early twenties the Soviets renamed the place Stalino, and modern water supply and sewage systems improved life there.  The energy hungry World War II years increased employment and population there.  During Krushchev's time the place was renamed Donetsk in honor of the Donetsk Siverskiy river.  Since then, this regional heart of Donbas has diversified into engineering and food production. Today the population is just over a million, similar in size to Calgary.  Donetsk city is blessed with a skilled workforce, economic, industrial and scientific assets, and initiative driven companies. It has recently received recognition from UNESCO as one of the most clean industrial cities, high praise in a time of eco-sensitivity. Today it has the most fabulous and modern sport stadium.

So the investment opportunity lies there, in the Donetsk basin, waiting on a variety of test results.  The potential is there for Ukraine to look optimistically at its energy future. Possible doubling or even tripling of its natural-gas production over a ten year cycle implementing shale gas extraction technologies is good news for Ukraine and its democracy. Freeing Ukraine from import obligations, it could make a huge difference to Ukraine's energy story and turn Ukraine into an influential player on the European gas market. It may also encourage closer identification with nation, culture and language - of Ukraine.

Perhaps long time Alberta residents see some common themes from Alberta's energy story here. 

 

 

 

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Ukrainian Museum of Canada - Calgary Collection

Calgary's Herald has recently featured The Ukrainian Museum of Canada, on its Travel Pages.

(http://www.calgaryherald.com/travel/Travel+Ukrainian+Museum+Canada/7254258/story.html  )
The Museum was founded by the Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada in 1936.  With a great collection that presents the Ukrainian Canadian experience, this Saskatoon Museum is but one of 5 in the collection of associated museums, museums with a similar mission.  With 4 Branches scattered in the provincial capitals of BC, Edmonton, Manitoba and Toronto, Calgary is very fortunate to host the Calgary Collection of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada.  It is a very special gem of a museum. 

The Calgary Collection of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada features exponents about the immigrant experience of Ukrainians to Canada.  Some of the items are directly connected with the Calgary scene!  With very interesting educational programs and exhibits, the Calgary Collection hosts school tours, and visting groups regularly.   Ukrainian Calgary can be very proud of the Ukrainian Museum of Canada - Calgary Collection. For more information:  http://uwac-calgary.ca/cultural-education-pages/
and http://www.stvlads.com/museum.html.

The Alberta-Ukraine Advantage

The Ukrainian-Albertan relationship has been forged over the last 120 or so more years. Alberta wasn't even a province when the first immigrants from Ukraine arrived in the Edna/Star (Lamont-Andrew) area (1890's). Alberta became a province in 1905. It has been great timing for Ukrainian Albertans, starting out as labourers and farmers in those days. Without a doubt, those settler's ancestral agrarian life (animal husbandry, mining, etc.) served as a vivid example for their advocacy in relation to Alberta's resource development.

But Alberta has been a great place to foster the development of our human resources (people) too.  Public education, encouraging individual talents, building a safety net to protect those in need, and encouraging a lively discussion about how our society continues to develop, Alberta is a place for personal growth and responsibility.    

"In the fruition of time" Ukrainian Albertans have become a part of everything Canadian. Bringing ancestral learnings here, contemplating examples of other cultural world views, the Alberta project is a special blend. It seems to be working.

Clearly, people are at the core of Alberta's successes.  Forging ties with the ancestral homelands of many immigrant groups, our governmental representatives have fostered a good relationship with Ukraine, and its diaspora here in Alberta.  Cultural/linguistic opportunity, community development, humanitarian aid, and economic ties have been made possible. To understand the depth and breadth of the Ukrainian-Alberta relationship, and to knowledgeably take part in our Alberta-Ukraine Advantage one needs to look at the document link below.  Tons of information about Ukrainian Alberta.  I hope you enjoy reading. 

http://www.international.alberta.ca/images/Ukraine-AB.pdf