Pysanky of Hope

The Hutsuls, mountain people of Western Ukraine believed that the fate of the world depended upon the Pysanka. As long as the egg-decorating custom continued, the world would exist. If this custom was abandoned, evil – in the form of a horrible monster, forever chained to a mountain cliff would overrun the world. Each year this monster-serpent would send out his henchmen to see how many Pysanky were created. If the number was low, the serpent’s chains were loosened and he was free to wander the earth causing havoc and destruction. If, on the other hand, the number of Pysanky increased, the chains were tightened and good would triumph over evil for yet another year. The Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA) invites the world to invest in peace and support Ukraine by purchasing a unique and revolutionary Pysanky of Hope NFT series by artist Anthony Fatato featuring three pysanky based on the original artwork of renowned ethnographer, pysanka artist (Ukrainian Easter egg), and Fulbright Scholar Sofika Zielyk. The goal of the sale is to raise funds for Ukrainian humanitarian aid initiatives, increase awareness of Ukraine’s current needs, and provide hope for Ukrainians suffering the consequences of Russia’s brutal aggression. “This project shows the aggressor and the world that we have been here all along, we remain here, and we will always be here.” – pysanka artist Sofika Zielyk Established in 1925, the UNWLA is the longest-running and largest Ukrainian women’s organization in the US. Its mission is to promote and develop educational and cultural efforts and provide humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians worldwide. The UNWLA allocates funds to deliver medicine and medical equipment to hospitals, help sustain evacuated orphanages, and deliver humanitarian aid (food parcels, hygienic items, generators, etc.) to the heavily damaged areas of Ukraine. Learn more about UNWLA’s work at unwla.org.