At the Cultural Centre of Ukraine in France, in Paris, a cultural and diplomatic event took place dedicated to the Ukrainian embroidered shirt, its history, regional diversity, and the importance of preserving this tradition. The event brought together representatives from diplomatic, cultural, and museum circles, as well as researchers and international media, becoming a space for a broader conversation about living cultural heritage and its transmission to future generations.
The centerpiece of the program was a project by Ukrainian designer and researcher Khrystyna Rachytska, who has been collecting vintage Ukrainian embroidered shirts for nearly twenty years. Today, her private collection features over 500 pieces from various regions of Ukraine. A selection of these was presented during the event alongside contemporary works by KHRYSTYNA RACHYTSKA, demonstrating the connection between historical techniques, structural designs, and modern practice.
The guests' attention was particularly drawn to the vintage shirts, each preserving its own history, regional characteristics, and knowledge about the lifestyle of the people who created them. Through these items, the conversation about heritage acquired a concrete dimension: it touched upon techniques, cuts, materials, ornaments, and artisanal knowledge that have been passed down from person to person for decades and centuries.
"Today, as Russia systematically destroys Ukrainian cultural heritage—both tangible and spiritual—it is important to remember that not only our cities and territories are under attack, but Ukrainian identity itself. Vyshyvankas, rushnyks, traditional ornaments, and symbols are not merely elements of our culture, but codes of national memory passed down from generation to generation. They have been targeted for destruction over centuries, yet they survived the Holodomor, wars, and repressions, and have been preserved to this day. And now, as Ukraine fights for its existence once again, these traditions remain a source of our inner strength and resilience. That is why it is so crucial to preserve, popularize, and showcase them to the world," noted Vadym Omelchenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to France.
Currently, parallel efforts are underway aimed at the international recognition of the Ukrainian embroidered shirt tradition and its inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In this context, the Paris event became part of a broader international communication campaign about the Ukrainian embroidered shirt as a living cultural practice, its continuity, regional diversity, and significance.
"In Paris, we witnessed the Ukrainian embroidery tradition in its continuity—from vintage shirts to Khrystyna Rachytska's contemporary collection. This is exactly how intangible cultural heritage lives: through knowledge, techniques, and stories passed down from generation to generation. Today, as Ukraine is working on a dossier about the vyshyvanka as a socio-cultural tradition, it is especially important to show the world the depth and diversity of this culture," stated Viktoriia Lialina-Boiko, Permanent Delegate of Ukraine to UNESCO.
"It is very important to me that Ukraine is known in the world through our culture, its depth, beauty, and history. I have been collecting vintage embroidered shirts for many years, studying them, and every time I discover something new in them. Perhaps one of the main goals of my work is to continue telling the story of this heritage, introducing it to people in other countries, and showing how alive and multifaceted it is. That is why it was especially valuable for me to see such interest in the Ukrainian embroidered shirt in Paris and to have the opportunity to share this part of our culture with the international diplomatic and cultural community," says Khrystyna Rachytska.
The event's guests included representatives of permanent delegations of states to UNESCO and the diplomatic corps in France, as well as Fumiko Ohinata, Secretary of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The significant number of guests and their interest in the presented historical samples laid the foundation for a broader discussion on the importance of researching, documenting, and transmitting Ukrainian cultural heritage to future generations.
For Khrystyna Rachytska, this work is a continuation of years of research into Ukrainian traditional clothing. Her archive makes it possible to trace how the structures, techniques, and visual language of the embroidered shirt changed depending on the region and time. These studies also shape the modern language of the KHRYSTYNA RACHYTSKA brand, continuing the principles of working with form, craft, and lifestyle embedded in historical pieces.
The Paris event marked on more step in a broader international communication campaign surrounding the Ukrainian embroidered shirt. Its main premise remains simple: preserving heritage means preserving the items themselves, the knowledge of their creation, their significance for their communities, and the practices that allow this tradition to be passed on.