Today is the premiere of the next episode of the Violity podcast, and this time Denys Minin's guest is Maryna Lukianova. She is a researcher, passionate collector, and popularizer of Ukrainian Christmas tree ornaments.
Maryna's love for the Christmas tree and its decorations has been with her since childhood, and now this passion has turned into a serious job. For her, Christmas decorations are art objects that reflect history and convey the spirit of the era. She believes that Christmas decorations can also tell a lot about the personality of their owners, their preferences and character traits.
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Thanks to the efforts of our guest, in recent months, exhibitions dedicated to the history of Christmas decorations in our country have opened in Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa, and her book Ukrainian Christmas Tree Decorations - From Antiquity to the Present was published.
So, what were the very first Christmas tree decorations in Ukraine and how did the researcher's personal collection begin? How does she decorate the Christmas tree herself and how did her family do it? Where does she look for new exhibits and what is currently missing from her collection?
The collector not only tells the host what the fundamental difference between Ukrainian and Russian toys is, but also demonstrates to him how to distinguish between products from different regions and artisans.
The book by Maryna Lukianova “Ukrainian Christmas Tree Decoration - from Antiquity to the Present”. K.: Samit-Knyha, 2025
We talked not only about the history of the Ukrainian toy, but also about its present, as well as about the transformations of the New Year's celebration in recent years.
What does Maryna think a toy capable of conveying our modernity would look like? What is the current state of Christmas tree decorations production in our country (you will be surprised, as will Denys). And finally, does collecting holiday attributes for years affect your mood and belief in miracles?
Watch the premiere of the new episode of Listen to Violity this Wednesday, January 15 at 18:00.
Leave comments under the video on the Violity PRO Collecting YouTube channel to take part in the drawing of a gift from the guest - her brand new book about Ukrainian Christmas tree decorations.
