The Ukranian Museum in the East Village – A Cultural Gem

Your first visit to The Ukrainian Museum in New York City will not be your last. Located at 222 East 6^th Street in the heart of the East Village, it’s a gem of a destination that gives visitors a wide-ranging view of Ukrainian art and culture. 

Maria Prymachenko’s embroidery

Currently on display through April 7^th is “Maria Prymachenko: Glory to Ukraine.” The impressive exhibit includes over one hundred of her paintings, embroidery, wooden plates, and ceramics. Even without formal training, Prymachenko deftly reimagined her Ukrainian heritage. Her creativity is inspired by connections to folk songs, fairy tales and events that have influenced society. The array of paintings on display use bright, bold colors in unexpected combinations that are totally engaging. She often added exotic animals to traditional subjects and nature complementing the fantasy of well-known lore. As a cultural icon, Maria Prymachenko conveys subjects treasured by the Ukranian people. She also preserved her Northern Ukrainian region’s dialect in the captions of her paintings.  

Pysanky

The museum also has an exhibit that is very timely for the Easter Season. “Craft and Design: Pysanka” which is a key component of Ukrainian folk art. These embellished eggs have known to be fashioned by people dating back to pre-Christian culture. Each of the designs of the Pysanka on display is unique, a true reflection of the artistry of their creators. Beautiful, colorful, and symbolic, this is folk art at its finest. The gallery also includes intricate textile weavings and examples of fine woodworking. 

On the lowest level of the museum, you can explore “Ukraine & The Avent-Garde: Books and Works on Paper.” The important pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odessa were centers of the new artistic movements in Ukraine and there were renowned artists who spent time in those cities. On display are fascinating English and Ukrainian language books that include Alexandra Exter, Vasyl Yermilov, Anatol Petrytsky and others. 

Be sure to take the time to visit the museum’s charming gift shops and also to make note of the lobby installations, “Postcards from Ukraine” and “Oleksandr Glyadelov: Fragments.”

The Ukrainian Museum is located at 222 East 6^th Street, New York, NY 10063.  It is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. 

Top photo: Maria Prymachenko’s paintings
Photo Credit: Marina Kennedy