Members of the Yalenka Dancers Society get a lesson in Pysanky decorating

Prince George, BC – They are delicate, intricately-designed, and handcrafted – Pysanky, or Ukrainian Easter Eggs…

And every year for the past 10-years or so, Liz Folwark has held decorating sessions for students of the Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers, and their parents.

The equipment is minimal – eggs, a kistka (stylus), lump of beeswax, burning candle (to heat the stylus and melt the wax), dye, a steady hand, and patience.  The symbols used all have meaning – ribbons or belts around an egg represent ‘the endless line of eternity’, a leaf or flower suggests life, while birds are said to spell out fertility and the fulfillment of wishes.

Upstairs at the Yalenka Hall, Folwark was there to offer advice, suggestions, dip eggs in the bright-coloured dye, and help melt the beeswax off the eggshells afterwards – with a gentle hand that some of the littlest decorators had yet to master.

The dance club’s treasurer says she learned the art more than 30-years ago, when the club first formed.  Since then, she and other members have often been asked into local classrooms and have hosted workshops for others interested in the artform.

A glance at Folwark’s own Pysanky collections reveals a treasure trove of eggs she’s decorated, those made by her two children as they were growing up, and gifts from friends.