Hello all,
Today I will be continuing my overview of the Hutsul Costumes by talking about the Verkhovyna region. This term may be somewhat confusing, as 'Verkhovyna' just means 'Highlands', and is often used as a term for the Ukrainian Carpathians in general, including the ones in Lemkovyna and Boikiwshchyna. Here we are specifically referencing the town of Verkhovyna, formerly named Zhabye, which lies on the Black Cheremosh River in central Hutsulshchyna.
The Verkhovyna region consists of the valleys and drainage of the Cheremosh River, both branches, Black and White. To the west and south, it is bounded by divides in the mountains, separating it from the Rakhiw region and Romania, respectively. To the east, it includes the valley of the White Cheremosh, which forms the border with Cherniwtsi Oblast. To the north, the boundary is less well defined. Politically, it reaches Berezhnytsia and Bukovets', but culturally I would extend the region as far as Brustury and Richka.
Going by costume region, I include the villages of Richka and Yavoriw in the north, but not the village of Biloberizka. I am not certain about the villages on the east bank of the White Cheremosh.
This is sometimes considered to be the Capitol of the Hutsuls. It is the only Hutsul region which only borders other Hutsul regions.
The two images at the head of the article show first, a married couple in the older costume, then a bridal couple in the newer costume.
The chemise, sorochka, is of the standard Hutsul type, with the shoulder insets sewn to the sides of the rectangular body piece. Here is an example from my personal collection. Two body pieces, front and back, gathered into the neck together with the shoulder insets. a gore under the arms.
There is embroidery on the collar, cuffs, and front opening. Note that there is no embroidery on the hem, just one simple row of hemstitch. The lower part of the shoulder inset is embroidered. If you look at the two photos below, The lower border of the embroidery is on the upper sleeve, with the seam in the middle of the rows of braiding stitch. Because of this, there is no smocking on the upper sleeve.
Unlike the unfailingly warm color design of Kosmach, in Verkhovyno cool color combinations are common. Some have poetically cited the evergreen forests of the area as inspiration for this.
A couple of photos from Verkhnyj Yaseniv.
And one from Zamohora.
The lower sleeve was gathered into the cuff in the typical zigzag Hutsul style.
In the 20th cent. many women were unsatisfied with the limited scope of the embroidery, and the band of nyzynka was made much wider. This was accomplished either by cutting the shoulder inset and sleeve as one piece, or by doing the embroidery on a separate piece of cloth, which was then sewn onto the ustawka and sleeve.
Example from Zamahora, of the first possiblility.
And Krasnoillia
And of the second, from Verkhovyno
and Zamohora.
Some, under the influence of embroidery styles from further east, even embroider the lower part of the sleeves. An example from Krasnorivnia.
And Krasnyk.
One item to note here is that in Bukovyna and Podillia, The sleeve embroidery is always in three parts, like this example from Bukovyna. The shoulder inset takes one motif, the upper sleeve takes a monochrome band, and the lower sleeve has spot or stripe designs. The middle band is always omitted in Hutsul embroidery.
Also, the proportion of the upper and lower embroidery is skewed in Verkhovyno, the upper being much magnified compared to the lower sleeve design.
Compare this design from Vyzhen'ka, in the Putyla region, where the sleeve has long been traditionally embroidered,
To this sleeve from the Verkhovyno region. It is clear that the stripes were added after the ustawka design was expanded.
Another trend has been to expand the strictly geometric designs of traditional nyzynka
with more curvilinear and even floral designs, as we see above and here.
The double apron in this region is generally very dark, although it may have some silvery lines. Here are Evdokia and Dmytro Sorokhaniuk, from Verkhovyno itself.
Although at times it may be dark red.
The waist is girded with a striped or patterned sash.
In summer, sometimes the front apron was not worn.
And, as in other parts of Hutsulshchyna, the front apron is sometimes swapped for a regular apron, obviously an influence from outside. Here are two examples from the village of Kryvopillia.
The Kyptar, as is true for all Hutsul regions is identical for men and women. It is characterized by narrow straight teeth, lack of appliqued rachky, and rows of braided stitch embroidery.
A couple of examples of the old style.
Verkhovyna
Richka
Yavoriv
This can also be seen in the first photo at the head of the article.
A variant of the keptar with sleeves also exists, it is called Kozhushok.
An example from Richka.
The new version of the kyptar is not substantially different, it is just loaded with more ornament.
Another example from Richka.
And Yavoriw
This woman is from Chorna Richka
Modern examples often include sequins and can be quite gaudy.
The Serdak is worn here as well. The same cut is used all over Hutsulshchyna. This garment is sewn from extremely heavy home woven wool, either natural dark wool or red. While I am sure that there are systematic differences from one village and even one region to another, I do not have sufficient information to delineate these.
Here is an example from Verkhovyna.
Zelene
Verkhnyj Yaseniw
And some from Kryvorivnia, which is famous for their Christmas Caroling traditions.
Men's shirts are cut the same as in other Hutsul regions, with a body piece folded over the shoulders, sleeves set in at right angles and gathered into cuffs. There is embroidery on the stand up collar, cuffs, and originally a modest amount around the front opening. There is no embroidery on the shoulders or hem.
But like in other Hutsul regions, it has now become popular to have more embroidery on the front. In this region the embroidery has remained mostly nyzynka. Also it has become customary to place a cross stitch design under the main embroidery. These look like they were copied from west European pattern books, and often feature pairs of animals or birds, and even initials. Embroidered initials are common on garments in western Europe, but rare in Ukraine.
Berestechko
Bystrets'
Dowhopillia
Polyanka
Felt or lambskin hats were worn, and the same wide belts as in other Hutsul regions, called Cheres.
Linen pants are worn in summer, and wool pants, hachi, either red or natural dark, were tucked into kapchuri or socks, and postoly, Hutsul moccasins.
Kapchuri and postoly were worn by both men and women. Kapchuri are made of the same heavy wool as the serdak; a pocket is sewn for the foot, and then a tube is attached that covers the lower leg. For women, it was sewn closed, but for men, it often overlapped and was secured by straps. The top edge, and the edge of the overlap were embroidered.
Leather shoulder bags, often ornamented with metal plates are worn by men, and woven wool shoulder bags or saddlebags were worn or carried by both men and women.
Single girls braided their hair. Married women originally wore a namitka, a band of white cloth one loom width wide wrapped around their heads. See also the photo at the head of the article.
This was later replaced by a large shawl, which was originally wrapped with distinctive puffs over the ears, perhaps in imitation of the namitka, or perhaps just for warmth.
Brides wore a bridal crown specific to this region, which included the chiltse, an ornamental band with dangling metal ornaments worn over the forehead, as we see in this image above.
Here we see the chiltse below, while above is an ornamental leather hatband for a man.
The bride, and sometimes the groom would also wear a guglia, a sort of pocket cape made of white wool which was ornamented.
The bride would also wear a rushnyk over the shoulders. Here are a few photos of bridal couples.
This last photo introduces us to a garment we have not seen before. A long dress overcoat for men called Manta. This is common further east, but is not found in Western Hutsulshchyna.
Here is an example from Holovy.
And another from Krasnoillia
In addition to beaded necklaces, glass beads, corals, necklaces made from coins, etc, the Hutsuls of this region are famous for zgardy, copper or bronze necklaces of beads and crosses.
And that concludes this article. I will talk more about the embroidery in my next article.
A few more images from this region.
And a handful of images from Krasnorivnia.
Thank you for reading. I hope that you have found this to be interesting and informative. I hope that this helps people better understand Hutsul culture, and to not mash garments from different regions together.
Roman K.
email: rkozakand@aol.com
Source Material:
A. O. Kratiuk et al, 'The Kolomyja Museum of Hutsul Folk Art', Kyjiw, 1991
Stepan Pavliuk et al. 'Etnohrafixhni Hrupy Ukrajintsiw Karpat - Hutsuly', Kharkiw, 2020
Olena Nykorak et al, 'Hutsul's'ka Vyshywka', Rodovid, 2010
Olena Kul'chyts'ka, 'Narodnyj Odiah Zakhidnykh Oblastej Ukrajiny', reprint L'viw, 2018
Roman Reinfuss, 'Karpacki Swiat Bojkow i Lemkow', Krakow, 2016
Hryhorij Smol'skyj, 'Kosmats'ki Vustawky', L'viw, 2001
Alicja Wozniak, 'Wyrozniemi Strojem - Huculszczyna Tradycja i Wpolczesnosc', Lodz, 2012
Mykola Domashews'kyj, Istoria Hutsulshchyny', Chicago, 1975
Myroslava Shandro, 'Hutsul's'ki Vyshywky', Cherniwtsi, 2010
Iryna Svjontek, 'Hutsuls'ki Vyshywky Karpat, vol 3', Ivano Frankiwsk, 2008
Iryna Svjontek, 'Hutsuls'ki Vyshywky Karpat, vol 4-5', L'viw, 2016
Iryna Karpynets', 'Keptari Ukrajins'kykh Karpat', L'viw, 2003
Eudokia Sorochaniuk, 'Nyzynka - Embroidery of the Hutsuls, Pennsauken, NJ, 2002
