Museum of Russian Icons Winter 2018 Newsletter MoRI_Winter_2018_web
NEWS
from the
MUSEUM OF RUSSIAN ICONS
Winter 2018
Rushnyky:
Sacred Ukrainian Textiles
T
he Museum is pleased to
announce its next exhibition–
Rushnyky: Sacred Ukrainian
Textiles. Opening February 15,
2018, the exhibition celebrates
and explores Ukrainian culture
through one of its most ancient and valued
traditions.
A rushnyk is a long, rectangular cloth, typically
made from linen or hemp, which is woven in
one solid piece and sometimes adorned with
bright, intricate patterns. They are traditionally
made by women, who start learning to spin,
weave, and embroider the cloths at a very
young age. Today most rushnyky are machine
made using modern materials, and can be
purchased in retail establishments.
Rushnyky have many uses. The most basic
type, colloquially called an utyralnyk or wiper,
serves as a towel. In contrast, a nabozhnyk,
also called nabraznyk or nakutnyk, is a highly
decorated rushnyk comprising embroidery and
lace that decorate icons and icon corners in
homes. Rushnyky are ritual objects used in
ceremonies from birth to death. Newborns
are immediately laid on a rushnyk; intricate
wedding formalities utilize several
rushnyky; coffins are sometimes lowered
into the ground with rushnyky.
Rushnyky are steeped in tradition and
faith. The shape of the cloth represents
life’s journey; the ornamentation captures
the cultural and ancestral memory of the
region; they are believed to be a median
between the secular and the divine.
The process of spinning thread and
weaving linen embodies spiritual power
reflecting the ancient deity Mokosh, often
represented in embroidery. The needle
has its own energy (similar to the chi of
acupuncture), and the color of the thread
has sacred meaning. Red represents life
and is the main color used.
This exhibit of over 80
rushnyky, Ukrainian
icons, and related
artifacts comes from the
collection of Franklin
Sciacca, Associate
Professor of Russian
Language and Literature
at Hamilton College
in NY.
Media sponsor
Frank Sciacca
203 Union Street, Clinton, MA 01510