MinCult adds Trinity traditions in Shulhynka to Ukraine’s cultural heritage

Trinity Church in Shulhynka. Photo: Google Maps

The Interagency Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture has added the traditions of the Trinity feast in the village of Shulhynka, Luhansk region, to the National Register of Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Ukraine. This tradition has a continuous history dating back to the late 18th century.

The first references to the “Khram” (patronal feast) date to 1781, when the construction of the Church of the Holy Trinity was completed. Although the church itself has not survived to the present day, its consecration took place on the feast of the Holy Trinity, and since then, the village has celebrated the feast annually.

Preparations for the celebration began the day before. At dawn, men would cut fragrant herbs – thyme, mint, willow leaves – on the meadows near the Shulha and Aidar rivers. They also gathered reeds, sedge, bulrush, and cattails. These plants were used to decorate homes, and then the villagers, dressed in festive attire and carrying bouquets of wildflowers and grasses, would head to the church.

According to the Ministry of Culture, during the festive meal after the liturgy, “the main dishes were ritual yeast pies with 'sopka' filling (lard, cracklings, fried onions, spices) and 'sushka' (dried fruits). The villagers spent the whole day near the church: after the meal, the youth played games, sang songs, and enjoyed festivities.”

The Ministry did not specify what exactly makes these traditions unique.

It is known that Shulhynka was founded by Don Cossacks and has been occupied by the Russian army since March 1, 2022.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture has been unable to remove fortune-tellers from the national TV marathon.

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