(17 Dec 2021) LEAD IN:
Straw decorations are a big part of Christmas celebrations in western Ukraine.
One woman has been making them for the past 30 years and challenges herself to create new designs every time.
STORY-LINE:
What would be the spirit of Christmas without its decorations?
In Ukraine, some choose flashy, modern-looking ones for their houses, but many are reviving ancient traditions.
Christmas spiders made from straws are one of them - and they're making a comeback.
Craftswoman Marina Ivanishin has been making them for 30 years, but now the next generation is interested too.
She's teaching apprentice Yulia Malinka how to create these traditional designs.
"It is impossible to pass through and not to notice this. Such a warmth comes from it, it is so cozy. And what do we want at home? Of course, comfort and we want such a tranquil mood. And all these things help to create it," says Ivanishin.
Some say the decorations are a reminder of the hay in the manger where baby Jesus lay.
To create one, crafters needs a needle, a thread and straws of different sizes and width, and perhaps most importantly, imagination.
"For me it is such a geometrical magic. You put a straw after a straw, very softly, very carefully and finally you get such a beauty," says Yulia Malinka.
Each design is based on geometrical figures of different sizes and volumes that are assembled together.
They are called Christmas spiders, due to their appearance.
According to a legend, spiders are a symbol of wealth, and the webs are a reminder of the vanity of material goods, because people can easily get trapped in a web.
Ivanishin says that similar decorations are made in Poland and Lithuania, but unlike the Ukrainian version, they are woven in a single piece.
In Ukraine, each element can be separated and substituted, making them more adjustable.
"Traditionally, our spiders are composed of several elements, these elements are of different sizes. They are all assembled in one structure and therefore they become flexible. They are very dynamic - we can twist it in different directions, or it will move on its own," says Ivanishin.
Ivanishin says that she never creates two identical spiders, she always comes up with something new each time.
She sometimes works with her husband Andriy Ivanishin.
"First, I work on the main form, and then we look together with my wife and decide what could be added: it can be a flower, a bird, or an angel - it all depends on the mood," says Ivanishin.
It takes about two days to make one medium-sized spider.
Collecting and preparing straws is another time-consuming step.
Andriy Ivanishin has taken this task on himself.
He dries straws and cuts them with utmost precision.
In the meantime, Maria Ivanishin assembles the straws from the previous batch, and teaches her craft to the new generation.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
