Most Ukrainians don’t have any of the products from the Opishnia school of pottery in their kitchens. This is no surprise. After the Soviet Union collapsed, pottery stopped being mass-produced and turned into a rare craft. We started buying boring Chinese products or expensive, foreign-made kitchenware.
But Ukrainian pottery from the town of Opishnia is experiencing a boom. This town, located in Zinkiv raion in Poltava oblast is Ukraine’s capital of pottery, where the unique National Museum of Ukrainian Pottery was opened in 1986. The museum contains over 42,000 items collected between 1997 and 2001 by pottery craftsmen from all over Ukraine.
The museum is not a traditional one. Visitors who come here think they will see only the famous brown pottery of Opishnia, but the collection showcases everything that can be made out of potter’s clay, including modern ornamental creations. Most of the ceramic sculptures are displayed outside, impervious to cold or rain, because clay is highly resilient. Next to the National Museum of Ukrainian Pottery are the house-museums of the Poshyvailo family and the famous potter Oleksandra Seliuchenko, which are part of the museum complex.
On Potter’s Day tables and benches were set put on the big gallery, as well as a fire-pit for grilling shish kebabs and cooking gruel. Everyone was waiting for some special guests from the oblast and raion, when suddenly it began raining heavily. But even the downpour did not spoil the mood of the residents of Opishnia, and the festivities were moved into the House of Culture.
Local artisans had laid out their finest handiwork: paintings, embroidered runners called rushnyky , carpets, straw hats, pottery, and carvings.
The small House of Culture was full. A serious-looking man was recounting something to a group of people. It turned out to be Mykola Poshyvailo, a descendant of the well-known Opishnia potter couple, Havrylo and Yavdokha Poshyvailo.
“Potter’s Day is the brainchild of our leadership,” Poshyvailo explained. “Until recently, potters were hardly noticed. Now they are proud of their creative abilities and successes. I want to thank all those who remembered this day and came to pay tribute to our grandfathers, as well as all those who contributed to this cause. This is a great holiday for the residents of Opishnia!”
Visitors were eagerly snapping up the displayed wares because there are few places in Ukraine where you can buy handmade, ecologically pure gift items backed by an ancient lineage. Unfortunately, both the Ukrainian state and the society pay little attention to this.
Interestingly, the smaller a piece of pottery, the more expensive it is. “It is much more difficult to create something small,” said the experienced potter Viktor Komarevtsev. “Naturally, the price is different.”
During the pottery exhibit a concert took place at the House of Culture. Oleksandr Putria, the head of the raion council, arrived to greet the residents of Opishnia and their guests. “We have revived the potter’s holiday after a 20- year-long pause because one cannot imagine Opishnia without art, particularly pottery. Ukraine will live as long as we remember our traditions!”
Meanwhile, the weather had improved, and outside delicious shish kebabs were being prepared. We did not get to taste any: the lineup was too long and we had to go home.
Today Potter’s Day is celebrated throughout the raion. The residents of Opishnia ardently support its spirit by popularizing pottery and other Ukrainian handicrafts. Maybe someday this holiday will acquire national status.
