People in the know attribute all kinds of special qualities to clay. They say it has antioxidant properties, purifies energy sources in the home, and is a concentrate of the sun’s energy. According to the Bible, God fashioned the first man out of clay.
This humble material is no stranger to Ukrainian. Just think of all the daily objects of ancient Ukrainian folk life, ranging from clay buildings to children’s toys, decorative art, and ritual objects dating to the Trypillian period, when our Ukrainian ancestors worshipped the famed Trypillian goddess, which was also made of clay.
Not much younger than the Trypillian goddess is the svyshchyk, a Ukrainian toy whistle. Experts at the Museum of Ukrainian National Decorative Art say it dates back several hundred centuries. The whistle is shaped like a bird and fits easily in the palm of a child. It is hollow and its sides have holes made by a special technique, so when you blow into them, a certain sound is produced. A deeper look at folk philosophy and beliefs reveals that the svyshchyk has a number of designations: before the advent of spring, you could whistle to speed up its arrival. It was also used to ward off evil spirits.
At a recent class at the museum children were learning the secrets of making this ancient toy. They were interested in its meaning than the production process.
Teacher Kateryna Merkusheva, who is a member of the Union of Folk Artists of Ukraine, said: “Actually, it’s not difficult to make the svyshchyk. The problem is making the holes and the channels that will make this whistle work; this may take some time and effort.”
She was right. This toy is made very quickly, before the clay dries. You take a lump of wet clay, shape it like a varenyk dumpling before inserting your finger to make a hollow space inside. Then you pat the clay smooth with water and attach a head and tail to the toy. You can also attach wings to the sides and make a decorative pattern. Finally, you take a wooden stick and carefully make the whistle opening.
This kind of svyshchyk was worn as a necklace by Halyna Bezkorovaina, deputy director of the museum’s science division, who also teaches this ancient craft to young Kyivites.
“This class is part of our program ‘Family Leisure,’ which has been going on since last October. In the fall few people were aware of our activities, but now we have a full house.”
“OK, sweetheart, put your little finger in there — see, I can’t do this with my finger; it’s so big and thick. But never stop halfway...” Bezkorovaina interrupts her account of the museum’s activities to instruct the children. She adds: “I read a lot of books and I talk to the children during classes. That’s how we work together and socialize.”
Every class is usually attended by around 60 children with their parents, and as a rule there are few “walk-ins.” Veronika Tereshchenko has some experience working with clay. With the help of a potter’s wheel she recently made a candlestick at the Museum of Folk Architecture and Daily Life in Pyrohove.
“These are completely different kinds of sensations, working the potter’s wheel and here, where everything is done with your own hands,” said Veronika. She came to the museum with her mother because she likes to work with this type of material. Like Merkusheva says, there is something alluring about clay.
“We wanted to spend our time usefully, so we came here, especially since today is the feast of the Epiphany. Visiting the Kyivan Cave Monastery is good for our spiritual growth. This is our first visit, but we will come again because Veronika is interested in rag doll-making techniques,” said her mother Liudmyla.
Craftsmen say that toys made from clay are warm to the touch. The atmosphere in the class was remarkably friendly, even festive. Was it because of the simple clay material? Who knows, but it turns out that clay has some special qualities.
Merkusheva explained: “Clay must be kneaded to the proper condition, so that it can be used to shape an object — it’s not the kind of clay you get from a regular quarry. Our grandfathers and great- grandfathers would prepare clay for the coming generations (a grandfather did it for his son, and so on). They would dig a large pit and fill it with clay from a quarry. This clay would be kept there for 50 or 60 years. Their sons would use it, adding more clay for their sons. The longer clay stays in the pit, exposed to the wind and freezing temperatures, the better it is for making pottery.”
The svyshchyk is just the starting point for the craftsmen, who are encouraging children’s love for folk toys and forming their creative tastes and perceptions of the difference between natural and artificial materials. Today you can find a staggering variety of factory-made plastic toys, but here is an alternative, a handmade toy that is warm to the touch, a toy that has a spirit of its own. The museum craftsmen said that the children who make toys during the classes flatly refuse to part with their creations. Sometimes they even balk at giving them as presents for their relatives. Perhaps this is a sign of their hunger for creativity, because today’s kids are used to receiving everything ready-made, but we were brought into the world to be creative.
It is hoped that upcoming classes at the Museum of Ukrainian National Decorative Art, where children will learn how to embroider, make rag dolls, fashion ceramic embroideries, and many other interesting things, will trigger their creative talents and make them spiritually richer, more knowledgeable, and more generous.
