| At those times the wealthy people usually gave | | | | another color. It is done several times, |
| jewels while poor people brought to the | | | | afterwards, the egg is made warm to take away |
| emperor's palace what they could give. Thus, | | | | the wax, and it is ready! In ancient times the |
| Magdalena gave the emperor an egg saying, "The | | | | Ukrainian people used onion peel and berries juices |
| Christ has arisen!". The emperor expressed his | | | | to produce colors. |
| disbelief and said, "Nobody can arise from the | | | | Different regions of Ukraine have their specialties |
| dead, it is hard to believe in it, like it what this | | | | as to the eggs ornament. E.g., Kiev painted eggs |
| white egg can turn red". Suddenly the egg | | | | have many colours (beginning with light pastel |
| became red and since that time eggs serve as a | | | | colors to dark ones), Central Ukraine eggs are |
| symbol of Christ's resurrection. | | | | decorated with refine plant ornament, Western |
| The tradition to paint eggs dates back to pagan | | | | Ukraine eggs astonish by the difficulty of their thin |
| times when the Ukrainian people performed magic | | | | geometrical ornament and bright-yellow color |
| rituals connected with spring awakening of nature. | | | | range. |
| After Christianity was introduced in Ukraine, it | | | | There are numerous explanations of decoration |
| assimilated magic beliefs of the past. People | | | | on Ukrainian eggs in various regions. The curve |
| believed that hallowed eggs could help to put out | | | | means the Eternity and the Sun cycle, the grate |
| fire or to find lost cattle. They also stroked the | | | | means the Sun. The red color has the meaning of |
| cattle with egg to keep them healthy and mixed | | | | joy and love, the yellow color means the moon |
| egg shells with seeds to ensure rich crops. | | | | and stars, bronze color stands for Mother Earth. |
| Why eggs? | | | | Ukrainian eggs and Easter celebration |
| The Ukrainian scientists have many theories | | | | Easter celebration was introduced at the end of |
| explaining the symbols of Easter eggs. In ancient | | | | the 10th century. Orthodox Easter is celebrated in |
| times eggs bore magical meaning. Archeologists | | | | the first Sunday after spring equinox and March |
| find eggs in tombs and graves dating back to the | | | | full moon. It was marked by numerous rituals |
| times before Christianity. Those eggs are either | | | | dating back to pagan times. |
| natural ones or made from marble, clay or other | | | | The ancestors of Ukrainian people used to pay |
| materials. An egg is described in numerous myths | | | | boiled eggs into different colors and put them on |
| as the symbol of life and renewal, the source of | | | | the grass. This day people rejoiced that spring |
| everything which exists in this world. | | | | came. |
| In pagan times the egg was a symbol of spring | | | | Russian tsars and Faberge Easter eggs |
| sun which brought life and light. It was a custom | | | | The tradition to exchange painted eggs on Easter |
| to give an egg as a small gift to pagan gods, to | | | | was common for Russian people as well. During |
| exchange eggs with friends and relatives in the | | | | the reign of one Russian Tsar about 37 thousand |
| first day of New Year and on birthday (in ancient | | | | eggs were prepared for the Easter. The eggs |
| times New Year began in spring, when nature | | | | were natural (hen's, swan's, pigeon and duck) and |
| arises from the winter sleep). Rich people gave | | | | artificial (made of wood, stone, porcelain, bone |
| golden eggs instead of colored hen eggs. | | | | and glass). |
| Orthodox symbolism of painted Easter eggs | | | | One of the first attempts to make jewelers |
| dates back to ancient traditions of many cultures. | | | | decoration out of an Easter egg was made by |
| At the same time, it gets another meaning: the | | | | Carl Faberge in 1884 when the Tsar Alexander |
| egg symbolizes Christ's revival, the victory of Life | | | | the 3rd decided to make an unusual a gift for his |
| over the Death. | | | | wife, Czarina Maria. The egg reminded the |
| Ukrainian eggs technology | | | | empress of her homeland, and afterwards the |
| Ukrainian eggs are painted on birds eggs using hot | | | | czar decided to order an Easter egg each year |
| wax. First of all, the wax is laid on the egg by | | | | for Maria. Faberge designed Easter eggs for |
| means of special small metal tube with wooden | | | | another eleven years until Alexander the 3rd died. |
| handle, making a contour. Then, an egg is put into | | | | Then Nicholas the second continued the tradition. |
| one color, again covered by wax in parts which | | | | Faberge Easter egg always had some surprise |
| should preserve that color and then put into | | | | which was kept in great secrecy. |