Lyudmyla Pogoryelova has been creating colourful, intricately patterned Easter eggs since she was six years old. Then, her lines, curves and dots were shaky and uneven, but the feeling was special. “When the wax melted away, and the colours shone through, I saw my first pysanka: imperfect, crooked, but alive,” recalled Pogoryelova, now the director of the Shevchenko Museum at Bloor and Dundas West. “Since then, pysanky‑writing has never been just a craft for me. It’s something that connects me to my childhood, to my sibling and cousins, to my grandmother’s steady hands and patient voice.”
One of the most significant Ukrainian Easter traditions, pysanky is the practice of writing on eggs with beeswax, dyeing the shell in various colours, then removing the wax. The eggs represent renewal, protection, hope and strength, and are often given from one person to another as personalized gifts. For the Ukrainian community in Toronto, it’s also an affirmation that their stories, symbols and rituals remain alive in the diaspora.
“Pysanky-writing becomes a bridge between past and present, between grandparents and grandchildren; between those who arrived (in Canada) decades ago and those who have come more recently seeking safety and belonging,” Pogoryelova said.
While the eggs themselves are fragile, the tradition is strong. The name is derived from the word “pysaty,” which means “to write,” and the practice is rooted in storytelling. It has existed for thousands of years, and was used to express prayers and wishes by people before they could read and write.
Gathering around a table to prepare the eggs is a time to reconnect with heritage. “When I write a pysanka now, I am adding my own chapter to a story that people began writing centuries ago,” Pogoryelova said. It’s a way to invite other people in, too. “In a multicultural country like Canada, these traditions also become a way to share Ukrainian heritage with neighbours and friends, strengthening understanding and fostering pride.”
During the lead-up to Easter — Orthodox Easter takes place April 12, a week after the Western Easter long weekend — Canadian Ukrainians run Easter egg decorating workshops around the city to bring this colourful tradition to one another and to the public.
At the Shevchenko Museum’s pysanky workshops, some of which are led by artist Olena Chorna who specializes in the Petrykivka folk-art painting style, visitors can learn the ancient wax‑resist techniques and explore sacred symbols of protection. The museum also possesses a collection of eggs on display, donated by generations of Ukrainian Canadians.
There are more opportunities than ever before to make pysanky in Toronto, said Irene Nabereznyj-Appleby, a first-generation Ukrainian-Canadian who leads workshops at Studio Mooi in the Beach. She cited the weeklong Ukrainian EggCessories pysanky retreat in Oakville in July that people travel from all over the world to attend.
Because of the Russia-Ukraine war, Nabereznyj-Appleby said many Ukrainians come to her workshop to be reminded of what it felt like to make pysanky with their mothers or grandmothers back home. “During this terrible time in Ukraine, pysanky is one of the many things worth fighting for,” she said. Under Soviet rule, the practice was prohibited and only survived because of the diaspora. It has since flourished in Ukraine once again.
Traditionally, pysanky were believed to ward off evil spirits, and were left at gravesites or given as gifts. Nabereznyj-Appleby has given eggs with symbols of strength written on them to those struggling with illness or infertility. In her workshops, she incorporates symbols from all over Ukraine — flora and fauna common in the Carpathian Mountains; darker tones and geometric symbols often seen in eastern Ukraine; and floral designs from Kyiv and beyond.
This process involves writing patterns using a pen-shaped tool with beeswax on a raw, room temperature egg wiped clean with vinegar and water. You submerge the egg in dye (starting with the lightest colour), then repeat the wax and dye process several times. Finally, you melt off the wax by holding the egg beside a candle flame or putting it in a 350C oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
Oil pastels can be used instead of dyes to teach children the concept of wax resistance. You’ll need a “kistka” or writing tool, beeswax, dyes (if using) and a candle; you can shop for these supplies at the west-end store Koota Ooma or the online-only Ukrainian EggCessories.
The craft is so intricate that it must be approached with a calm hand, Nabereznyj-Appleby warns newbies. She recommends watching YouTube videos or attending a workshop before attempting to prepare the eggs for the first time. “I am sure that anyone who tries to make a pysanka at Studio Mooi will leave very proud of what they have produced, particularly when they melt off the wax,” she said. “That is when the magic happens!”
That magic never gets old. Each year, after the Easter meal, Nabereznyj-Appleby makes pysanky eggs with her sons, their partners and her two granddaughters. She feels the craft keeps her connected to her roots. “Ukrainian legend states that as long as Ukrainians make pysanky, the world will not end, and we are doing our best.”
