Thekozhushanka (Ukrainian:кожушанка) is a traditionalUkrainiansheepskin coat.
Kozhushankas were winter attires worn by women, typically in the middleDnieper River region, including theLeft-Bank andsteppe areas, and also in theLemko region, particularly in the central regions. They are thought to have originated in theCossack Hetmanate period.[1] The coats varied in color from region to region.
In theLemko areas, the Kozhushanka was worn on top of theblouse. It was designed to resemble the traditionalLemko korsetbodice, but without wedges at the bottom. It was made of cherry-coloredvelvet, lined by homemade coarse cloth or linen. The edges were trimmed with black sheepskin or other differently dyed material. It was embellished by a couple of bouquets of various color and, like most Ukrainian clothing of the time,embroidered, particularly on the chest.[2]
InCanada,Ukrainian immigrants were often singled out by their sheepskin coats, and detractors such as politicianFrank Oliver said they looked more like beasts than men. However, theninterior ministerClifford Sifton (in charge of immigration) defended the "stalwart peasant in a sheepskin coat, born on the soil, whose forefathers have been farmers for ten generations, with a stout wife and a half-dozen children".[3] In any event, when Oliver replaced Sifton as minister of the interior, Ukrainian immigration continued apace, but the kozhushanka was increasingly dropped by the Ukrainians in Canada favor of Western garments.
 | This article about Ukrainian culture is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |