Egg decorating in Slavic culture

These ceramic eggs were common in Kievan Rus' and had a characteristic style. They were slightly smaller than life size (2.5 by 4&nbsp;cm, or 1 by 1.6&nbsp;inches) and were created from reddish pink clays by the spiral method. The [[majolica]] glazed eggs had a brown, green or yellow background and showed interwoven yellow and green stripes. The eggs were made in large cities like [[Kyiv]] and [[Chernihiv]], which had workshops that produced clay tile and bricks; these tiles (and pysanky) were not only used locally but were exported to Poland and to several Scandinavian and Baltic countries.<ref>Tkachuk, Mary et al. Pysanka: Icon of the Universe Saskatoon: Ukrainian Museum, 1977</ref>

These ceramic eggs were common in Kievan Rus' and had a characteristic style. They were slightly smaller than life size (2.5 by 4&nbsp;cm, or 1 by 1.6&nbsp;inches) and were created from reddish pink clays by the spiral method. The [[majolica]] glazed eggs had a brown, green or yellow background and showed interwoven yellow and green stripes. The eggs were made in large cities like [[Kyiv]] and [[Chernihiv]], which had workshops that produced clay tile and bricks; these tiles (and pysanky) were not only used locally but were exported to Poland and to several Scandinavian and Baltic countries.<ref>Tkachuk, Mary et al. Pysanka: Icon of the Universe Saskatoon: Ukrainian Museum, 1977</ref>

The oldest "real" pysanka was excavated in [[Lviv]] in 2013<ref>{{cite web |title=Археологи у Львові виявили унікальну писанку, якій понад 500 років. Фото |url=http://galinfo.com.ua/news/139452.html |website=galinfo.com.ua}}</ref> and was found in a rainwater collection system that dates to the 15th or 16th century. The pysanka was written on a goose egg, which was discovered largely intact, and the design is that of a wave pattern. The second oldest known pysanka was excavated in [[Baturyn]] in 2008 and dates to the end of the 17th century. Baturyn was [[Hetman]] [[Ivan Mazepa]]'s capital, and it was razed in 1708 by the armies of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter I]]. A complete (but crushed) pysanka was discovered, a chicken egg shell with geometric designs against a blue-gray background.<ref>Потапчук Наталія. УКРІНФОРМ 23-07-2008</ref>

The oldest "real" pysanka was excavated in [[Lviv]] in 2013<ref>{{cite web |title=Археологи у Львові виявили унікальну писанку, якій понад 500 років. Фото |trans-title=Archaeologists in Lviv have discovered a unique pysanka, which is more than 500 years old. Photo|url=http://galinfo.com.ua/news/139452.html |website=galinfo.com.ua}}</ref> and was found in a rainwater collection system that dates to the 15th or 16th century. The pysanka was written on a goose egg, which was discovered largely intact, and the design is that of a wave pattern. The second oldest known pysanka was excavated in [[Baturyn]] in 2008 and dates to the end of the 17th century. Baturyn was [[Hetman]] [[Ivan Mazepa]]'s capital, and it was razed in 1708 by the armies of [[Peter I of Russia|Peter I]]. A complete (but crushed) pysanka was discovered, a chicken egg shell with geometric designs against a blue-gray background.<ref>Потапчук Наталія. УКРІНФОРМ 23-07-2008</ref>

The practice of pysankarstvo was widespread throughout Ukrainian ethnographic lands. They were written in every corner of Ukraine, with traditional folk designs being documented by [[ethnographers]] well into the late 19th century in every region of Ukraine. This included those Ukrainians resettled within the [[Russian Empire|Russian empire]], and into nearby Slavic countries.

The practice of pysankarstvo was widespread throughout Ukrainian ethnographic lands. They were written in every corner of Ukraine, with traditional folk designs being documented by [[ethnographers]] well into the late 19th century in every region of Ukraine. This included those Ukrainians resettled within the [[Russian Empire|Russian empire]], and into nearby Slavic countries.