Coral jewelry in Ukraine

It is well known that Ukrainian women have long been striving for beauty and their creative flair was embodied in the creation of necklaces, among which a coral necklace in red, orange and pink colors was widespread throughout Ukraine.

The three most common types of coral were distinguished by shape: cylindrical ("tube" shape), round or oval ("rondel" shape). In many cases, necklaces were strung with corals of the same shape, but of different sizes, placing larger ones in the center and smaller ones at the edges. Sometimes the size of the beads increased from the upper rows to the lower ones.

The number of strings in a coral necklace ranged from 2-4 to 10-15.

The most abundant (with a large number of strings) and massive necklaces made of coral were widespread in Galicia (present-day Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk regions). Coin halves with holes or specially made metal elements were sometimes used as adapters for connecting several strings.

In the Middle Dnieper regions (parts of Kyiv and Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk regions), metal beads - "buttons" or "reefs" - were added to coral necklaces.

The compositional center of coral necklaces was often a dukach - a metal product based on a coin or medal, which was woven with intricate metal details: leaves, flowers, lace "bows" and chains. Dukachi of the simplest form - round medallions or coins with a minimum of decoration - were found in Kyiv Oblast, Poltava Oblast and Lviv Oblast.

At the same time, in Hutsul region and Pokutty (Ivano-Frankivsk region), in Western Podil (Ternopil region), necklaces (including coral ones) were created from a row of coins without any decoration, which were called ducats. In Bukovyna (Chernivetska region), such decorations made of coins were called salba.

In the Hutsul region (Ivano-Frankivsk region), zgardas - necklaces with cross-shaped or round pendants of various shapes made of bronze or brass - were widespread. Zgardas were strung from coral, artificial coral (smalt) and Venetian glass with a floral pattern ("painted beads"). Zgardas were often fastened with special clasps made of brass - cheprags. Cheprags could be round in the shape of a wheel, diamond-shaped, square-shaped or in the form of elongated curls with rounded appendages.

Hutsul zgardas in Ukraine

Zgardas are neck and chest jewelry for women with cross-shaped pendants made of bronze or brass, which were most common in the Hutsul region. Crosses were connected to each other with metal elements or strung on a cord between beads made of Venetian glass ("painted beads"), coral, amber or other materials. Such zgardas consisted of 1 to 5 or 7 strings.

The formation of zgardas as chest charms has gone through a long-term development path, initiated by the pagan tradition - zgardas had a powerful talismanic effect on people.

At first, a characteristic feature of zgarda pendants was the inclusion of an equilateral cross with four small circles with a six-petalled rosette between the shoulders in the circle of their discs. These cross-shaped motifs, having a pre-Christian origin, were solar signs.

But gradually, step by step, the disc-shaped solar signs in the zgardas acquired a cross-shaped shape. Sun-shaped disks were replaced by crosses with equal branches, the spaces between which were filled with rays. Crosses, as a rule, had the same shape and size. Over time, the crosses lost their one-dimensionality: one of the branches became longer and the cross took on features specific to the Christian famous form. Specifically on crosses of this type appeared relief crucifixes  with features of primitive plasticity. Even though, such purely Christian crosses still have many remnants of pagan symbolism. At the end of the branches of these crosses we sometimes meet solar rosettes or circles.

However, in the future, the crosses on the Hutsul chest jewelry became the main elements from the supplementary ones, turning the “patsorki”, “stuck with the crucibles”, into the zgardas — expensive cross chest jewelry, which, along with the Venetian and coral necklaces, sorokivets and rustles, became a sign of wealth of their owners.

The so-called "chepragas" - two, mostly round plates decorated with carved or openwork ornament - served to connect zgardas. Chepragas, as a rule, had large sizes - some of them reach 6-7 cm in diameter. Chepragas with solar symbols were designed to protect a person from evil spirits. In the central part of the chepraga decoration, as well as in the zgardas, in most cases, various versions of solar symbols were placed: a wheel with eight, six or four spokes, concentric circles.

Beaded jewelry in Ukraine

Jewelry from beads were first created in Ukraine in the 19th and 20th centuries. "Gyrdans", "gardyanikas", "gerdans", "silyankas", "golochkas", "drobynkas", "lankas", "luchkas" and many other new names and decorations came into fashion. It is likely that the familiarity of Ukrainian masters with the artistic achievements of Western European countries played a major role in the development of beaded ornaments. It was there that since the 18th century, the fashion for beads and artistic products from them reigned. There is an assumption that European bead materials such as sklarus, beads and ready-made products from them began to appear then in the villages of the country, and not only in big cities. According to the annals of the second half of the 18th century, merchants from Bohemia, while taking with them goods for sale, together with the bead store also took ready-made jewelry and household items, the most diverse in terms of appearance, purpose and price.

The tradition of making beaded jewelry and decoration for folk clothing was open to external influence, but developed in the style of national art, and this contributed to the formation of unique features in crafts that reflected the life and tastes of the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian culture.

In the first half of the 19th - the middle of the 19th century beaded decorations in folk clothes spread in parts of the western lands, and at the end of the 19th century - in some places in the northern and central part of Ukraine. Beading traditions took over Western Podillia, Opillia, Pidhirya, Pokuttia, Hutsul region, Lemkiv region, the lower part of Transcarpathia, Northern Bukovyna, Polissia, Volyn, Middle Dnieper, etc.

By the middle of the 20th century the range of beaded jewelry has grown significantly, craftsmanship and aesthetic principles has expanded.

In the 20th century artistic products made of beads became more and more popular. The manufacture of jewelry ceased to be only for individual use, in some places it took on the character of a profitable industry. An example can be the organization of folk workshops during the First World War in Galicia. The goal was to help refugees, and in these workshops, among other types of artistic products, beaded jewelry was made.

Subsequent times only strengthened the development of the bead industry. The 1950s and 1960s came, and artisans made many beaded products: necklaces, belts, purses, wallets, bags, etc.

However, from the middle of the 20th century the folk art of making artistic products from beads went downhill and ceased to be in the demand it was before. Perhaps the industrialization of social production has devalued manual labor, the skills and abilities acquired by craftsmen over the centuries.

Fortunately, the traditions of creating authentic jewelry began to revive and more and more fashionistas today complement their outfits with bright and colorful jewelry.