Vyshyvanka — Masquerade or Manifesto? How Ukraine Seeks Unity in Patterns

Today, the streets of Ukrainian cities look like canvases painted by folk artists: vyshyvankas of every color, style, and price range flicker in every Zoom window and at every intersection. Vyshyvanka Day has long ceased to be a holiday just for ethnography enthusiasts: today it’s a flashmob, a national dress code, and a free ticket to the hearts of Instagram.

On this day, even those who usually confuse a rushnyk with a towel proudly put on embroidered fabric so that strangers on the street nod to them with respect and colleagues in chats give them likes. Social media resembles a “Vyshyvanka — 2025” catalog feed: selfies, family portraits with cats, and the obligatory captions like “Unity is our strength.”

But is the nation really as united as its festive wardrobe? Ukrainians, as is well known, can rally around any trouble — or at least a buckwheat discount. Helping each other in tough times is an ancient tradition, though sometimes help is limited to advice: “Hang in there!” and a smiley in a messenger.

Still, in times of war and anxious news, a unity flashmob is already half the victory. Some put on a vyshyvanka for a selfie, while others do it to remind themselves: behind every cross and rhombus lies a story and memory that Ukraine is truly rich in.

True unity is measured not by the number of likes, but by the willingness to lend a hand when it’s not a holiday outside. Although on Vyshyvanka Day, even that hand might be adorned with a national pattern. And you know, that’s not a bad start.