Новини
Kyiv receives Ukraine’s largest didukh trident for Christmas celebrations
26 december 2023
The National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine has installed the largest didukh trident in Ukraine. Its height is 7.41 metres. The didukhs (sheaves) for the trident were made of wheat. They were created by paratrooper Yaroslav Kuchma, who was temporarily unable to walk due to an injury, and 95-year-old Pelahiia Zhyvko from the Lviv Oblast.
“The trident made of wheat sheaves — didukhs — is primarily about returning to our traditions and roots. They are the replacement of the Soviet “lights” and the red star used to decorate the Christmas tree. We have a plethora of beautiful, deep-rooted, and authentic traditions associated with Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, and now the time has come to remember or discover them. Looking through the prism of time, we see the identity, unbreakable spirit and will of the Ukrainian nation, and the record-breaking trident is a symbol of this strength. That is why the MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation backed the initiative of the Association of Volunteers NGO to create and install the trident. The Foundation also supported other initiatives that were undertaken in 2023 to affirm Ukrainian identity,” commented Tetiana Volochai, Director of the MHP-Gromadi Charitable Foundation.
The wheat used to make didukhs was harvested from MHP’s fields in the Lviv Oblast. The company, being a strategic partner of the Charitable Foundation, decided to support the initiative because, in addition to the important cultural component, didukh-making has the additional benefit of aiding the military during rehabilitation.
When we learned about Yaroslav, who was unable to walk, but recovered emotionally by knitting wheat sheaves, we realised that it was worth telling his story louder. As part of our “MHP Poruch” programme, we support servicemen and their families in many ways, so we know from experience how important an emotional component is for rehabilitation. The return to traditional values, the discovery of national identity, and the social responsibility of MHP as a large business are all part of this project,” added Pavlo Moroz, Director of the Corporate Social Responsibility Department at MHP.
Pelahiia Zhyvko joined serviceman Yaroslav Kuchma to help him make more didukhs. The woman survived five wars, persecution by the Soviet authorities, deportation, and imprisonment of her relatives in Siberia. But despite this, every year Pelahiia made didukhs and brought them to the house for Christmas. This year, she shared her knowledge and skills with future generations.
The record-breaking didukh trident will be on display at the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine until 5 January. After that, it will be transported to Lviv. The trident was installed at the Middle Naddniprianshchyna exhibition area near the church. It is symbolic that on the day the record was set, 25 December, a Christmas service was held there, with folk groups from different parts of Ukraine carolling.
During the festive season, our museum offers a diverse range of activities to both residents and visitors of Kyiv. Their primary objective is to uncover the authentic customs of Ukrainians, to dive into the atmosphere of enlightenment about our ancestral roots, and to embrace our shared heritage that has endured for centuries,” stressed Oksana Poviakel, Director General of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine.
