Folk Costume of the Hutsuls, Ukraine. Part 4, Kosiv Region

Hello all, 

Today I will continue my coverage of Hutsul costume by looking at the region of Kosiw. Kosiv lies in the northeast of the Hutsul region, and borders on Pokuttia. It lies north of the Verkhovyna region, with a zone of intermediate costume, and east of Kosmach, as far as the Cheremosh, beyond which lies Cherniwtsi Oblast, and the Putyliw region. The northern border is rather disputed, some of the most famous villages of the region are indicated to be outside of Hutsulshchyna according to this map. The exact border between the Hutsuls and the Pokuttians is debated. 

The chemise of this region is cut according to the general Hutsul style, with the shoulder insets sewn to the sides of the body pieces. 

Embroidery is executed on the cuffs, collar, front opening and the ustawka. There is often embroidery on the sleeves as well. Generally the shoulder embroidery does not overlap the seam with the sleeves, [as in Verkhovyno region] which are usually gathered at the upper seam under the ustawka. The edges of the ustawka are often embroidered, as they are in Kosmach and further north. If there is sleeve embroidery, it is independent of that on the shoulder. Embroidery is not traditionally done on the hem. 

Here is an example from Pistyn. Note that the shoulder inset is edged with embroidery, and there are teeth only on top of the design. The bottom edge is flush with the seam. In Pistyn, they often embroider spot designs higher on the ustawka. 

Here is a modern sorochka based on the traditions of this region. 

Here is a well known old photograph from Yabluniv, in the debated northern zone. 

A closeup of the embroidery. 

The sleeves in this region are often gathered into the cuffs with colored thread. 

Besides cross stitch, nyzynka is also used, especially in the villages higher in the mountains. 

Here is an example from Velykyj Rozhyn. 

And another example from Horod. This sorochka seems to have the shoulder and sleeve cut in one piece. Note that the shoulder and sleeve embroideries are separate. 

Old photographs show that similar embroidery was done in Brustury.

In a few of the villages of the northeast, in particular Staryj Kosiv, Smodna, and Verbovets', various types of "curly stitch" are used. These are more typically used further east. 

I will talk more about these in the next article on embroidery. 

The double aprons were generally dark red, although sometimes they were as dark as in the Verkhovyno region. 

The waist was girded with a striped or pattern woven sash. Patterned sashes are more common in eastern Hutsulshchyna. 

In some of the eastern villages which border Pokuttia, the double apron may be replaced by a wrap overskirt, here called opinka. 

This image shows the costume from the village of Rozhniv, which has a distinct kyptar. This is probably best considered to be over the line into Pokuttia. 

The kyptar, as in all Hutsul areas is identical for men and women. 

The Kosiv keptar has  a rectangle of black and white woven kidskin on the front, edged by large, curved teeth. The main ornament on the rest of the vest consists of black leather appliqued 'rachky' [crawdads] patch pockets and bands of the black and white woven kidskin. 

As in other parts of Hutsulshchyna, sleeves may be added to make a kozhushok. 

A subtype of this kyptar style exists, in which the teeth are less curved, forming a gentle arc. This type is worn in Western Pukuttia, in the Kolomyja district. We can see it here, in this famous photo of a bridal couple from Kornych, Kolomyja district, Pokuttia. These people are NOT Hutsul. 

As we saw in the photo above, this type of keptar was worn as far south as Yabluniv. 

Within this basic framework, the composition of the Kosiv version varied quite a bit. 

The serdak, equally the same for both men and women is made of homewoven red or natural dark wool. 

Here is detail from an unusual monochrome serdak from Prokurava.

Men's shirts have the standard Hutsul cut, one body piece folded over the shoulder, stand up collar, sleeves set in at right angles with a gusset. Embroidery is placed on the collar, front opening, cuffs, and a narrow band at the seam between the body and the shoulder. The sleeve is often gathered into the cuff with colored thread. 

Examples from Pistyn

Babyn

Unknown village. 

Recently, of course, many men's shirts have defaulted to the standard modern Ukrainian shirt layout, such as this example from Roztoky. 

The shirt was girded either with a wide leather belt with metal buckle, cheres, or a striped woven sash. Shirts are worn outside the pants. 

Plain white linen pants were worn in summer, wool hachi, either red or dark natural wool were tucked into woven embroidered kapchuri, which were then worn with moccasins, postoly. 

Men carry a leather shoulder bag, usually with metal ornaments, as the traditional costume has no pockets. Alternatively, woven wool shoulder bags may be worn. Wool shoulder bags or saddle bags are carried by both men and women. 

Men wore felt hats in various shapes, usually ornamented with feathers, beadwork, etc, as well as hats made of lambskin. 

Girls braided their hair, married women covered their hair with a peremita, a length of white linen one loom width wide. The Peremitka in this region was at times pleated on the end that lay over the forehead, as can be seen in these images from

Brustury

Stary Kosiv

Verbivets'

and Sheshory

These were later replaced by shawls tied around the head with puffs over the ears. 

Wedding crowns in this region are made of multiple pieces. The hair is put up in back of the head, the bun itself is decorated, including hanging ribbons. The crown itself is put on the front of the head. Here are a couple of drawings made by Kul'chyts'ka in the 1930's in Stary Kosiv. 

An old photo from Babyn

 

Here are some photos from Sokolivka

Here we can see that the wedding crown has the same elements as recorded by Kul'chytska, although the details of ornament have changed. Note that beaded shirts in Bukovynian khlopyanka cut have become popular for some Hutsul weddings. 

This bride is also wearing a modern Bukovynian style opinka, or wrap skirt, as well as a beaded shirt. 

The guglia, or pocket cape, is also worn by brides, and often by grooms in this area still. See the couple from Babyn above. 

Men will wear long wool overcoats called manta for special occassions. 

Ornaments consist mostly of necklaces, made of venetian glass beads, coral, beadwork, coins, and especially zgardy, brass beads and crosses. I will close with a few more images from this region.

Thank you for reading, I hope that you have found this to be interesting and informative. I will present the embroidery in more detail in my next article. 

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

V. H. Zabolotnyj et al. 'Ukrajins'ke Narodne Dekoratyvne Mystetsvo', Kyjiw 1956

Tetyana Kara Vasylieva, 'Ukrajins'ka Vyshywka', Kyjiw 1993

Romana Labrosse et al, 'Timeless Treasures', New York, 2018

Yevhen Shevchenko, 'Yevhenia Henyk', Kyiv 2007