Ukraine, Korchyn, Lviv Oblast, July 2023.
Kupala night is a Slavic, midsummer festival with Pagan roots. It takes place in a handful of Eastern European countries; in its Ukrainian form, as well as marking the height of summer, it is also an expression of Ukrainian cultural identity. It is precisely this cultural identity that Russian authorities deny exist.
Other Kupala celebrations earlier in the week in nearby Lviv had been cancelled while the city observed an official period of mourning following rocket attacks on 06 July by Russia that killed 10 people. After that mourning period, these celebrations, in the nearby Carpathian Mountains went ahead, with participants strongly of the belief that, with their national identity and way of life under attack, these celebrations are more important than ever.
The various rituals, including the building of bonfires, the making and casting away of head wreaths and the making and burning of dolls are connected to purification, luck and romance for the year ahead. Participants often wear traditional Ukrainian folk dress, including the ‘vyshyvanka’, or embroidered shirt, a symbol of national identity.
