The National Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life of Ukraine has installed the largest didukh trident in Ukraine. Its height is 7.41 meters. The didukhs for the trident were made of wheat. They were created by paratrooper Yaroslav Kuchma, who was temporarily unable to walk due to his injury, and 95-year-old Pelagia Zhyvko from Lviv region, UNN reports.
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"The Didukh trident is primarily about returning to our own traditions and roots. It is a replacement for the Soviet "lights" and the red star on the Christmas tree. We have many beautiful, deep, and authentic traditions associated with Christmas and New Year's celebrations - it's time to remember or discover them. Through the prism of centuries, today we state the identity of the Ukrainian nation, its indomitable spirit and will, which is symbolized by the record-breaking trident. That is why the MHP-Community Foundation supported the initiative of the NGO "Association of Volunteers" to create and install the trident, as well as other initiatives in 2023 that affirm Ukrainian identity," commented Tatiana Volochai, Director of the MHP-Community Foundation.
The wheat used for didukhs was harvested in MHP's fields in Lviv region. The company, as a strategic partner of the charity, decided to support the initiative, as in addition to the important cultural component, didukh making has an additional value - supporting the military during rehabilitation.
"When we learned the story of Yaroslav, who could not walk but recovered emotionally by knitting sheaves of wheat, we realized that it was worth telling about it louder. After all, as part of our MHP Next Door program, where we provide various types of assistance to the military and their families, we know from our own experience how important the emotional component is for rehabilitation. And this project combines a return to traditions, the discovery of national identity, and the social responsibility of MHP as a large business," added Pavlo Moroz, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at MHP.
Together with the military Yaroslav Kuchma, didukhas were made by Pelagia Zhyvko. The woman survived 5 wars, persecution by the Soviet government, deportation and imprisonment of her relatives in Siberia. But despite this, every year Pelahia wove didukhs and brought them into the house for Christmas. And this year she also passed on her knowledge and skills to the next generations.
The record-breaking trident with didukhs will be on display at the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life of Ukraine until January 5. Then it will be transported to Lviv. The trident was installed at the Middle Naddniprianshchyna exhibition near the church. It is symbolic that on the day the record was set, December 25, a Christmas service was held there, with folk groups from different parts of Ukraine caroling.
"On Christmas and New Year's Eve, our museum offers a number of activities for Kyiv residents and visitors. The main goal of which is to discover authentic traditions of Ukrainians, to plunge into the atmosphere of knowing our own roots, to realize our common unity carried through the centuries," emphasized Oksana Poviakel, Director General of the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine .