Vyshyvanka Day 2026: Museums Across Ukraine Display Unique Embroidered Items Belonging to Shevchenko, Lesya Ukrainka, and Stus
To mark Vyshyvanka Day, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications presented a collection of unique embroidered items that belonged to prominent Ukrainians and encouraged Ukrainians to visit the museums where these historical artifacts are housed.
This was reported by the ministry’s press service on Facebook.
“What shirt did Taras Shevchenko’s sister give him? And which one did Lesya Ukrainka wear with her mother, Olena Pchilka? Where are the embroidered shirts of famous Ukrainians kept?” the post reads.
At the Museum of Outstanding Figures of Ukrainian Culture, you can see the unique embroidered sleeves in which Lesya Ukrainka and Olena Pchilka were photographed. The museum also houses a shirt front that the writer embroidered herself for her nephew, a shirt belonging to Mykhailo Starytskyi, and a Hadyach-style shirt from the Kosach family, which was sent from the U.S. by relatives of Izidora Kosach.
The Taras Shevchenko National Museum displays a shirt embroidered for the poet by his sister, Yaryna Shevchenko. According to the museum, Taras Shevchenko wore this very shirt during his last trip to Ukraine in 1859. The museum also houses a women’s embroidered shirt which, according to legend, belonged to Maria Maksymovych—the wife of Mykhailo Maksymovych, the first rector of Kyiv University.
The National Museum of Ukrainian Literature displays embroidered items that belonged to Dmytro Pavlychko, the family of Mykhailo Hrushevsky, and Vasyl Stus. Among the exhibits is an embroidered bookmark that the poet’s family donated to the museum.
In addition, the National Museum of Ukrainian History displays embroidered shirts belonging to well-known dissidents and fighters for Ukraine’s independence—Vyacheslav Chornovil and Levko Lukyanenko.
Vyshyvanka Day is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of May. The holiday began in 2006 as a student initiative that later evolved into an international cultural movement.
In Ukraine, a new annual initiative is being launched to coincide with World Vyshyvanka Day—the “Embroidered Ribbon of Remembrance” campaign, dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen Ukrainian defenders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, together with First Lady Olena Zelenska, addressed the public with a greeting on the occasion of Vyshyvanka Day, which is traditionally celebrated on the third Thursday of May.
In honor of Vyshyvanka Day, Ukrainian artisan Nadiya Vakulenko shared details about the creation of traditional wedding towels in Reshetylivka. She explained how authentic towels are made, the differences between machine and hand embroidery, and the price differences: machine-made items cost around 10,000 hryvnias, while hand-made ones can reach 30,000–35,000.
On May 21 in Kyiv, in honor of Vyshyvanka Day, the mini-sculptures of the city’s founders—Kyiv, Shchek, Khoriv, and Lybid—were updated. The bronze figures on Poshtova Square were adorned with vyshyvankas from various regions of Ukraine. Sculptor Volodymyr Zhuravel also spoke about upcoming updates to these art installations.
The men and women of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released a festive message on the occasion of Vyshyvanka Day.
