To explore Ukraine's cultural heritage and engage the younger generation in studying the creative legacy of our ancestors, Valentyna Dobrovolska established the Ethno-Art club. Over the years, the club has successfully implemented various cultural and artistic projects. A practical creative meeting with Maria Daniela Ivanusha, a professor of weaving at the Folk School of Arts in Botusan (Romania), significantly enriched the students' understanding of cultural connections, similitude in the creation, and the identity of the ornaments symbolism and techniques for creating woven carpets in European countries, including Ukraine and Romania.

The professor’s workshop provided students with valuable insights for their research. It became evident that many geometric ornaments in carpet weaving share identical interpretations in both countries. Based on the stories told by Ms. Maria during the workshop, we concluded that our carpet weaving techniques are also identical.

During the conversation with the professor, we noticed a carpet on the professor's wall that closely resembled the carpets from our region, especially in its ornaments and colors. This observation reinforced the idea that our peoples have contributed to Europe with their own piece of culture in the area of folk art.

In the past, nearly every Ukrainian household and many European cities had a loom for crafting woven goods. During our cultural research expeditions, we discovered numerous woven carpets created by people of various nationalities residing in the Kirovohrad region. Today, at the Ethno-Art club, we study the ornamental patterns of these diverse communities and recreate them as rugs.

This research and hands-on work deeply engage us, as carpet ornaments reveal that art transcends borders. Over centuries, migration across European borders brought different communities together, often due to life’s challenges. Shared labor and the generational transfer of knowledge helped unify Europe’s intangible cultural heritage.

Unfortunately, the number of weaving artisans is steadily declining in both Europe and Ukraine. One of the ways to preserve, revive and promote weaving is to hold various cultural and artistic events: exhibitions, workshops, ethnographic laboratories, museums, festivals, competitions, fairs, online presentations, etc.

One unique aspect of our region is that despite the disappearance of weaving as a craft nowadays, many families have preserved carpets made in ancient times, which were passed down as a heritage from one generation to the next. Therefore, as part of the promotion of weaving, a number of projects were carried out to recreate carpets that had the most interesting history of existence and preservation associated with specific families. 

We sought to uncover old woven artifacts in our families, among friends, and in museums, gathering their stories as treasured family heirlooms passed down through generations. These discoveries inspired projects to revive nearly lost weaving traditions, allowing those interested in this craft to join our school and the broader community.For instance, one carpet was preserved by hiding it in a kiln beneath ashes during the enemy’sinvasion. Another remarkable story involves a family expelled by the Communists in the 1920s, who managed to take their rugs with them, preserving them to this day.

Members of the Ethno-Art club meticulously studied and reproduced ornamental elements from ancient carpets as part of the cultural and educational project “Ornamental Weaving of the Kirovohrad Region.” They also explored the symbols, motifs, and colors of these historical pieces. Under the guidance of the club leader, they also learned traditional techniques for preparing wool and dyeing it naturally without chemical additives.Through our research, the club members uncovered the meanings behind many traditional ornaments and symbols. We learned out that rhombuses are powerful protective amulets symbolizing good fortune; wavy lines represent eternal life; straight horizontal lines signify earth and peace; crosses denote harmony and masculine strength; circles symbolize the sun and often appear as eight-pointed stars or floral shapes; birds are seen as God’s messengers on earth and symbols of the soul; squares or rhombuses with dots symbolize sown fields or homesteads; the female figure, shaped like the letter "Zh," represents a Goddess-Protectress and the extension of life.

The main purpose of our work is to deeply study the language of ornaments and colors inherent in Ukrainian and European carpet weaving and to incorporate them into our craft creations. Our products stand out for their precision in geometric patterns, rhythmic compositions, and the harmonious balance of colors.

Our club is led by Valentyna Yakivna, an Honored Master of Ukraine, who was born in Moldova and grew up immersed in this unique art form. She learned the skills of carpet weaving from her mother and grandmothers, a tradition deeply rooted in her homeland. Valentyna Yakivna often reminds us that the cultures of different peoples intersect and enrich one another, and that this timeless art has been thrivingand developing trough centuries. Exploring its history allows us to preserve and share the knowledge and legacy of our ancestors.