Ukrainian Exhibit In Somerset County Highlights History And Traditions Of Its People

Press release from the Somerset County Government:

05/19/2022 4:04 PM

SOMERVILLE – The Somerset County Board of County Commissioners invites residents to view two exhibits on loan from the permanent collection of the Ukrainian History and Education Center that are on display in the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Gallery, located in the county Administration Building, through June 9.

View our video about the exhibit at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpPA3IBKtDw.

“What’s been happening in the Ukraine is devastating and heartbreaking. It is a senseless war. And it makes us recall another time in history, almost a hundred years ago, when Stalin punished the Ukrainian people in the early 1930’s, resulting in millions dying from starvation,” said Deputy Director Melonie Marano.

The exhibit in the lobby, “Ukraine 1933: A Cookbook,” is a portion of the linocut series by Ukrainian artist Mykola Bondarenko that depicts the unbelievable ‘menu’ people were forced to use to survive the genocidal artificial famine of 1932-33.

“It is moving, educating, and very relevant for what’s happening in the Ukraine right now,” Deputy Director Marano. “And the other exhibit of pysanka eggs gives us hope because they symbolize the enduring culture and traditions of Ukraine that have been handed down through the centuries.”

Pysanky, on display in glass cases on the third floor of the county Administration Building, are decorated Ukrainian eggs, traditionally made during Easter or the weeks leading up to Easter. Pysanka comes from the Ukrainian word “pysaty,” which means to write. The designs on the eggs are written using a stylus, hot wax and dyes.

This exhibit is made possible with funds from the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

For more information, contact the Cultural & Heritage Commission at 908-231-7110 or CulturalHeritage@co.somerset.nj.us.

This press release was produced by the Somerset County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.