Vytynanky (Витина́нки) inUkraine orWycinanki ([vɨt͡ɕiˈnaŋkʲi]) inPoland orVycinanki (Выцінанкі) inBelarus, is aSlavic version of the art form ofpapercutting, popular in Belarus, Poland, and Ukraine.
Vycinanka is also known as vyrazanka or vystryhanka.Viačaslaŭ Dubinka [be] was a key figure in reviving the folk art of paper cutting in Belarus.[1] Repeatedly the winner of international competitions, he left behind thousands of images with this technique. His works have adorned calendars, business cards, notepads, postcards and other items.[1][2]
In 2024, an element "Vytsinanka, Traditional Art of Paper Cutting in Belarus" was inscribed on the UNESCORepresentative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Polish wycinanki became a popular folk craft in the mid-1800s.[3]
Wycinanki originated withshepherds cutting designs out oftree bark and leather during inclement weather.[4] Colorful wycinanki were pasted on furniture or roof beams as decoration, hung in windows, and given as gifts.
Wycinanki vary by region. For example, wycinanki created in theKurpie region are typically all one color, while wycinanki from theŁowicz region are multicolored. Techniques include cutting, clipping, punching, tearing, and carving of paper, as well asnalepianki in which multiple layers are glued together.
Subject matter includespeacocks,roosters, and other birds; circular or star-shapedmedallions (gwiazdy); flowers; and annual holidays such as Easter and Christmas. In some towns and villages competitions evolved to create the most beautiful wycinanki. Traditionally done for relaxation in rural Poland, the techniques were passed down through generations, with new themes and ideas developing as the papercuttings became more detailed and intricate.
ThePolish Pavilion at the2010 World Expo inShanghai is based on a wycinanki design.
Historical evidence suggests that vytynanky began to be made in Ukraine at the end of the fifteenth to early sixteenthcentury, but it took quite some time before they became an integral part of the decorative arts practiced at the grass roots level. During the nineteenth century decorative paper cutouts spread all across the Ukrainiancountryside.[5]
The word itself, vytynanky, gained currency in the early twentieth century, but there were many other, regional words that were used too — stryhuntsi, khrestyky or kvity to mention but a few. The vytynanky shapes were of many kinds and represented stylized figures ofpeople,animals andplants.Ethnographers and art historians began to study the art of vytynanky, and artists began to seek inspiration for their art in vytynanky. Articles and essays were published, vytynanky began to be collected. Vytynanky were displayed at exhibitions of the Ukrainian decorative and applied arts alongside traditionalpottery,embroidery,rugs and other items.[5]
Vytynanky that were made for the occasions of religious feasts and holidays were more decorative than the ones used for everyday decoration.Christmas andEaster called for vytynanky in the shapes of angels, churches or even whole evangelical scenes to be pasted prominently on the walls. Marriages saw vytynanky in the shapes of doves, flowers, or the ones that formed “trees of life.”[5]
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