Old Khata’s ‘Kvitky’ — Tribute to beauty and enduring legacy of Ukrainian folk art

Old Khata’s book “Kvitky” brings together traditional Ukrainian house paintings from the early 20th century, preserving a distinctive art form at a time when Ukrainian culture is being targeted by Russia’s war. The collection also recognises the women who made these paintings and the researchers who recorded them, presenting the tradition as evidence of cultural continuity and identity.

Paintings from 11 Ukrainian regions feature in what the article describes as the largest printed collection to date of material on these works. Made mainly by women, the designs drew on flowers and other natural forms, using homemade paints and simple tools; they decorated homes and outbuildings. Researchers documented the tradition particularly widely in the 1920s, before 1930s repression curtailed the cultural revival.