Home page » Topics » Communities » Kniahynynok The Kniahynynivska Amalgamated Hromada in Volyn formed in September 2016 when there were operating 200 Hromadas in Ukraine The local inhabitants didn’t give too much credit to the upcoming changes at first though today the Hromada is an example of successful unifying and implementation of ideas A frozen berries factory that will be exporting products to different continents is being built in the village Kniahynynok The local school stadium was turned into a sports complex accessible for everyone The Hromada installs garbage bins for waste sorting and takes care of the environmental safety of the area The local volunteers implement creative projects here such as decorated bus stops and street library with books in creative-looking fridges The Kniahynynivska Hromada united nine communities with a population of nine thousand people Local inhabitants are involved in agriculture Majority of the population commutes for work to Lutsk The head of the Hromada Olena Tverdokhlib says that the budget gets filled with profit from commercial lands that the investor pays in a share towards the village or settlement infrastructure development They began perceiving things that take place here differently financial changes since there is a bigger share of the budget for each member of Hromada We can see that nowadays there is a demand for local real estate because people want to live here It is great in my opinion because even though we are located not far from Lutsk nobody showed much interest in our real estate before The village Kniahynynok was mentioned in the old records back in the 12th century In 1964 the village was renamed in Maiaky and 2016 as part of decommunization process it got its old name: I learnt that Khrushchev came and said: What is this Kniahynynok about (“kniaz” stands for “prince” in Ukrainian and the name of the village Kniahynynok goes back to the times of Kyiv Rus Principality) Let the village have the same name as the collective farm Maiaky So when I became the head of the Hromada I went through the process of renaming the village back to the old way I couldn’t accept it because I was born in Maiaky and had to live in Knaihynynok I understand that it was the only right way Olena Tverdokhlib tells us that the Hromada managed to collect a great team of devotees with the ideas for common development The head of the Hromada took notice of some members of the community that were interested in particular topics and asked numerous questions during the meetings these people started coming to other round tables and created their projects — I would like the next head of the Hromada to have a wider look at the Hromada’s development and it would be great if it is a young person I see that our young people have incredible opportunities So many young people get an education abroad I hope they will come back and will bring their knowledge and transform our community into something unique for Ukraine My goal always was to start building a new miniature Ukraine in our Hromada I think we will succeed due to passionaries that inspire others Olena Tverdokhlib went to Czech to work as a seamstress After 7 years she came back to Ukraine and together with her friend founded a business At first they were fixing clothing and after a while they were able to open their clothing production for babies In 2015 Olena Tverdokhlib got elected as the head of the village council and in a year she headed the Hromada: — I decided that I have to change the life in our Hromada since I live here myself and I want our descendants to live a better life The decentralization reform has multiplied our budget ten times and opened opportunities for improvements have a strong wish and you are willing to work hard This is a pretty simple recipe for everyone The Kniahynynivska Hromada is well-known for beautifully decorated bus stops they have installed a couple of bus stops that were built using the gabion technology (a wirework container filled with rock retaining walls – author.) Near the school in Kniahynynok the Hromada built a bus stop in the form of an open book resting on pencil-looking columns — We have decided that there should be an interesting-looking bus stop near the school so that it looked inspiring for children to come to school every day and get knowledge they get rest on a bench that looks like a pencil eraser this bus stop is appealing not just for our children but for everyone who drives by A zest like this can attract attention from all over Ukraine and maybe our example will inspire people from other regions to create a Hromada they have built a “tasty” 3D bus stop in the form of the village kitchen The head of the Hromada Olena Tverdokhlib says that the authors of the project are local activists that were looking for funding and outsourced the artists to repair the bus stop — This bus stop was the first to be repaired before this road got fixed We got a permit to keep the bus stop intact during the road repair We also had to apply for permits to renovate the bus stop with our own money The village council allocated 20 thousand UAH and the volunteers collected the rest of the necessary funds It is a great example when conscientious people make things from scratch It’s so nice because they care about what they do Surveillance cameras have been installed to record violations on the territory of Kniahynynivska Hromada along the international highway Olena Tverdokhlib tells us that unfortunately after the road got repaired the number of traffic accidents increased and the installation of cameras became an urgent matter They are in-network with the regional police station the police were able to solve a couple of cases: stolen cars and an armed attack on the gas station This project was supported by the members of the Hromada unanimously — We have cameras installed near all educational institutions It was my initiative to have cameras instead of guards It is children’s security and security of those who use the road The members of the Hromada supported this project unanimously One of the big enterprises operating in Kniahynynivska Hromada is “Darlisad LTD” it specializes in freezing and exporting of wild and cultivated berries The enterprise purchased the land on which stand its warehouses to build a bigger factory with higher capacity for freezing fruit and berries The head of the enterprise Hryhorii Zeleniuk says that they buy berries from local people that grow them — Let’s say some family within 100-300 kilometres radius has planted near their house a couple of bushes or maybe a couple of hectares of bushes They have harvested the berries during the day sold the berries to us and we froze them quickly We try to keep our purchase prices very close to our polish competitors’ prices so that people are interested in growing berries we didn’t decrease the purchase prices too much because we didn’t want people to get rid of raspberry bushes When our production is going to work in its full capacity and all surrounding fields are planted with berries At the “Darlisad” facility there are different sorting lines operated by 70 people the company plans to stock up around 50 thousand of cultivated berries That’s why we rechanneled our sales to the European market We will try to expand the geography of our clients When our complex is ready it will be easier to negotiate with the clients The head of the Kniahynynivska Hromada Olena Tverdokhlib says that the Hromada is interested in the development of berries cultivation and provides support to the inhabitants at the early stages of the process the expansion of the factory will create additional workplaces have opened an unusual street library near the local community club in the village Syrnyky The books are kept in old fridges and you can read them sitting in a retro car The authors of the project won 7 thousand UAH to implement the project “Village reading room” They printed a big banner that is now on the side of the community club The other portion of the funds they collected with the help of the community they found six old refrigerators and decorated them they also found an old car at the scrap metal yard the village council deputy Halyna Harbaruk says that projects like this build a modern history of the village — There are no big enterprises in the village and we want to promote it in some way and to attract investors here We try to build a brand for our village using its tasty name Syrnyky (“syrnyky” stands for cottage cheese patties usually made sweet and served with sour cream) We organize events where we treat everyone with cottage cheese patties and this time we decided to treat everyone with food for thought Local inhabitants that joined the creation of the library Halyna Harbaruk tells us that the Syrnyky villagers have an online-chat where they can ask for help — We had different cases: somebody needed a plasterer So we wrote a message in the chat and a plasterer showed up and helped out Earlier we hardly had any street lamps working now the whole village has lighting and the infrastructure is developing We don’t have a school or a kindergarten but our local medical and obstetric centre has new equipment the Hromada equipped a modern school stadium They build a soccer field with artificial turf trim trail and purchased outside gym machines The head of the Hromada Olena Tverdokhlib says that the stadium was built using only Hromada funds — Last year we fixed fewer roads because we accumulated all the money for this project If children and youth used to roam around or spend time in cafes before I didn’t know they were into sports this much We have decided to purchase two more soccer goals so that the field could be split and more teams could exercise simultaneously The construction of the stadium began in May 2018 and in September we opened it to the public Both children and adults can exercise here according to a schedule — On weekend mornings the elderly members of the Hromada exercise at the stadium The stadium keeper used to work as a teacher of physical education and now he has formed a health group He came up with a special program for the 60+ people that have certain health issues and they exercise together In the mornings there are a lot of young mothers that want to get back in shape People communicate and come to watch football training A landfill that collects solid domestic wastes from Lutsk and nearby villages is located in the village Bryshche which is part of the Kniahynynivska Hromada A biogas unit started operating in spring 2018 next to the landfill This technology is not just profitable but also environmentally friendly This kind of disposal does not produce methane that can poison soil or even ignite The project manager of the Hromada Serhii Uzhehov tells us that the amount of wastes at the landfill is monitored and controlled Every garbage truck is weighed at the entrance and the exit and the weight difference tells the tonnage of wastes — The landfill is located on the territory of the Hromada but it is let out to the city (Lutsk – author) The owner signs agreements with the companies that extract biogas and recycle the PET bottles and things alike The city hall pays us feasible rent that we use for the needs of the Hromada we introduce some know-hows to Ukraine and implement them The majority of the Hromada villages have bins for separate collection of waste The village council issues a monthly newspaper that is distributed to each house The newspaper informs about the necessity of sorting wastes and explains how to do it After sorting the wastes get baled and sent for recycling to private contractors The head of the Hromada Olena Tverdokhlib says that the region does not have a well-run system of garbage recycling that’s why the Hromada is interested in cooperation with local entrepreneurs that collect wastes in villages and take for recycling in Kyiv people’s attitude was more like “we have too many other problems and sorting garbage is just on top of everything else” Sometimes they still put all garbage together unconsciously Though people get used to innovation and apply for more bins They come to us and tell us about their experience in Holland or Sweden We deal with this problem taking into account local conditions We are moving in the right direction and that’s what counts the Hromada has approved a plan of community sanitation measures in the villages Olena Tverdokhlib says that due to the plan they know where the waste bins have to be located what number of people can use them and how often the garbage has to be taken out — We purchased a garbage truck to transport different types of garbage It’s a bit expensive because we have to fill the truck with gas three times But it is worth it because children playing nearby at the playground notice that the truck takes away only plastic That’s why it makes sense to rinse a plastic bottle and bring it here The children start teaching their parents about garbage sorting Involved in the preparation of the material 16 volunteers Project support: Fundacja Euromaidan-Warszawa Use of materials is only permitted upon providing the source: Ukrainer.net Дизайн — Артем Зубкевич Розробка — Deluxcode foot and – in at least one case – office chair hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian war refugees have sought safety in the bordering nations of Poland A woman and her son look out from an evacuation train from Kyiv to Lviv at Kyiv central train station The chaotic run for freedom was captured by photographers of different agencies as more than 520,000 people have been forced to flee the country during the Russian invasion People fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine wait at Lviv train station to catch a train to Poland has estimated the conflict could produce as many as 4 million refugees with “devastating humanitarian consequences.” A child fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine holds a toy at a temporary camp in Przemysl As a seemingly endless column of cars lined up to cross into Moldova at the Mayaky-Udobne border point some opted to walk alongside cars pulling luggage Ukrainian refugees walk along vehicles lining up to cross the border from Ukraine into Moldova at Mayaky-Udobne crossing border point near Mayaky-Udobne Others walked toward borders bundled in heavy winter coats others pulling baby strollers piled with bags of belongings A refugee fleeing conflict in neighboring Ukraine arrives to Przemysl There were emotional goodbyes as people parted at train stations and tearful reunions as family members embraced upon reaching one of the neighboring countries that has opened their borders to refugees Ukrainian refugees cry as they reunite at the Medyka border crossing A woman carries a child as they board a bus after fleeing from Russia's invasion of Ukraine the lucky were able to board a train bound for Chop on the border with Hungary Others had to wait to see if another train would arrive A Ukrainian family take the Dnipro-Truskavets at the Lviv railway station A woman fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine hugs a child at a temporary camp in Przemysl A child fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine reacts at a temporary camp in Przemysl A woman fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine plays the guitar at a temporary camp in Przemysl A child fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine looks out of the window of a bus cross train tracks to get to a train leaving for Poland A woman cries after fleeing from Russia's invasion of Ukraine People who have fled the Russian invasion in Ukraine wait to board a bus bound for a refugee centre established in Przemysl People fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine comfort each other as they sit in a bus at a temporary camp in Przemysl A man carries a child after fleeing from Russia's invasion of Ukraine People who have fled the Russian invasion in Ukraine wait to board a bus bound for a refugee centre established in Przemysl A refugee child fleeing from Ukraine gestures when waiting for transport at Nyugati station after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine wait to board a bus bound for a refugee center after fleeing the Russian invasion in Ukraine People fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine meet with members of their family at the border crossing in Medyka People travel in a tram in Sievierodonetsk African residents in Ukraine wait at the platform inside Lviv railway station A girl is pictured inside a bus after fleeing from Russia's invasion of Ukraine Families wait for a Kyiv bound train at a station in Severodonetsk People fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine People wait for family members to arrive from Ukraine at the Medyka border crossing A man on crutches and other refugees walk to a refreshing point run by local volunteers after arriving from Ukraine People waiting for a Kiev bound train walk on a platform in Kramatorsk Refugees fleeing conflict in neighboring Ukraine arrive to in Przemysl A Ukrainian woman waits inside Lviv railway station A girl from Ukraine looks up at her mother as they wait to gain entry into Romania at the Romanian-Ukrainian border A refugee who fled conflict from neighboring Ukraine rests at the railway station after arriving to Zahony An employee from the Emergency Situation Inspectorate soothes the crying baby of a family fleeing the conflict from neighboring Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border People wait to cross from Ukrainian government-controlled areas to pro-Russian separatists' controlled territory in Stanytsia Luhanska People waiting for a Kyiv-bound train spread on a platform in Kostiantynivka Poeple who fled the conflict from neighboring Ukraine embrace after crossing the Romanian-Ukrainian border Women and children fleeing Russia's military operation against Ukraine who have traveled from the city of Khmelnytskyi wait on a bus near the Shehyni border crossing to Poland A mother feeds her child after they fled Russia's invasion of Ukraine and rest at a refugee shelter in Beregsurany A woman fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine holds a dog at a temporary camp in Przemysl entertain children at a tent town set up for people who fled Russian military operation against Ukraine Volunteers wait with information leaflet for people from Ukraine arriving from Poland at the Berlin main train station Hauptbahnhof Children board a bus after fleeing from Russia's invasion of Ukraine A woman holds a child after fleeing from Russia's invasion of Ukraine A volunteer talks to a woman and children who fled from Russia's invasion of Ukraine People fleeing Russian invasion of Ukraine stand at a temporary camp in Przemysl World Subscribers only Romania enters government crisis amid election World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion 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Ukrainian border guards checked papers and inspected vehicles A bus driver was growing impatient: "Please hurry my passengers are late and will miss their plane!" He hurriedly opened the cargo hold the bus started up again and passed the Palanca-Mayaky-Udobne border crossing Since the Russian invasion in February 2022 and the ban on men aged 18 to 60 leaving the country Ukrainians have been trying to cross the border illegally every day to escape mobilization There is no way of knowing how many attempts have been successful the tightening of security and border patrols has dissuaded some would-be soldiers from leaving But the pressure on men of fighting age has increased still further since a controversial draft law provides for mass mobilization to replace the soldiers – exhausted wounded or dead – who have been holding the front line for the past two years The country's western border provides a good vantage point from which to gauge the distress of these Ukrainians who will do anything to avoid being drafted Some of the more unusual strategies were almost funny You have 81.94% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial FOREIGN and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne said on Saturday efforts are ongoing to help a TT national living in Ukraine to leave that nation as fighting between invading Russian military forces and defending Ukrainian forces continues to escalate These efforts as well as developments related to the unfolding Russian invasion of Ukraine continue to be monitored at the highest levels in the Government "The Prime Minister has remained fully briefed on developments." This person is the only TT national living in Ukraine Dr Rowley returned on February 25 from Doha where he attended the Sixth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) TT has been a member state in the GECF since 2008 Russia is also a member state in the forum "The identified TT national is married to a Ukrainian and has been resident in Ukraine for the past 11 years Browne said he has been in communication with him by cellphone "We have been exploring all available options at this stage for him to get out of that country." "I have just been informed that a new Ukrainian government curfew has made one of the existing options impractical (for which our national had confirmed tickets in hand for ground transport out of the country)." A BBC report said the Ukrainian government imposed a curfew in Kyiv until Monday as it braced for renewed assault by Russian forces on the city "We have approached and are working with several other governments and agencies in the region to assist him and his wife to get to a neighbouring country." "Updates and further details will be provided with due consideration of concerns around safety and security of his location and movements." Browne said Government condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine "I have instructed our overseas missions to use all available diplomatic channels and fora to condemn the outbreak of violence on Ukraine to reaffirm our commitment to the territorial integrity of sovereign states and to call for an immediate cessation of hostilities with reversion to dialogue and diplomacy as the only acceptable solution to the crisis." Sign In Subscribe Now As a flood of refugees pour out of Ukraine into neighbouring eastern European states Missionites are scrambling to help in any way they can Many of those fleeing are expected to arrive in Canada in just a few short weeks Mission Community Service Society (MCSS) – responsible for resettlement locally – is awaiting word from the federal government on what the process will look like adding that finding space will be difficult a lot of the refugees are larger families as well.” Canada announced it was fast-tracking the application process for temporary visas for emergency travel for an “unlimited number” of Ukrainians on March 3 RELATED: Canada expedites temporary visas for Ukrainians fleeing war When refugees arrive in neighbouring countries like Poland and Hungary their Canadian application for refugee status will now take two to four weeks The federal government pre-determines which province they will relocate to and then the province puts out a call to municipalities to see what their capacity is Tatla admits the housing crisis and the low vacancies make resettlement a challenge locally He said they are in constant touch with neighbouring communities to possible gauge solutions advocating for potential tenants and seeing if (people) have the ability to help them,” he said MCSS staff are specifically trained to help ease the resettlement process But other local residents are helping to support the refugees before they even arrive Some have been renting out Ukrainian apartments in war torn areas through Airbnb (who have waived fees) putting money directly into the accounts of the refugees Others are taking an even more direct approach who announced his campaign seven months ahead of the election says he is putting everything on hold to volunteer overseas to help bring refugees to Canada dubbing the situation “the Dunkirk of our generation.” Hiles said that he and a friend will be renting out an apartment to “offer (refugees) two or three days of respite while they’re filling out the paperwork to get on the plane to come to Canada.” “It’s a transitional place where they can have a shower and this is very important to me because these are my people in collaboration with the Holy Eucharist Cathedral (which is sponsoring his trip overseas) have also helped organize a benefit dinner at St Joseph’s Parish Church on 7th Avenue on March 19 Tickets cost $100 and tax receipts will be provided All the funds will be distributed through the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for medical supplies as well as protective equipment like bullet proof vests and helmets for citizens moving through safe zones Mykhailo Ozorovych of the Holy Eucharist Cathedral in New Westminster will speak at the dinner and traditional Ukrainian food will be served The aim is to have a capacity of 150 attendees but if public health restrictions are not lifted on March 14 or Hiles can be contacted directly at 343 585 4002 or dustinhiles@gmail.com RELATED: Mission shifts focus for former Abbotsford man and Ukrainian wife as invasion continues @portmoodypigeonpatrick.penner@missioncityrecord.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Home page » Topics » Art » The Return of the Wooden Toy The tradition of creating toys has lived in Ukrainian culture from time immemorial dough — this is far from an exhaustive list of traditional Ukrainian toys only two state museums are dedicated to this kind of folklore function in Ukraine: in Kyiv and Lviv Ukrainian wooden products are gaining popularity all over the world there are UGEARS or WUMBA whose “toy” startups on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter for financing art projects found supporters quickly Andriy Bondaruk from Kniahynynok village in Volyn is doing his best to revive and increasing the popularity of the traditional Ukrainian toy He does not only study its history but crafts products himself in a small workshop in his garage but later he began to create them for sale Andriy launched the project called “The Ukrainian toy” Its team shares the history of Ukrainian toys Andriy Bondaruk heads the historical museum of Kniahynynok village The institution is only a few years old; however its director has been reviving and popularizing Ukrainian wooden toys for more than a decade having transformed the passion of his youth for folk crafts into the business of his life particularly pysanky (Ukrainian decorated Easter eggs) I was wondering what kind of thing I could come up with so that it would be relevant all year round because the Easter egg is more seasonal — only before Easter But a toy is interesting for children both in summer and winter And I started flipping through the ethnographical literature looking for some collectible pieces and fell into the reproduction of toys myself At the age of twenty Andriy obtained a painter’s education at a specialized art school Ten years later he began to master the profession of historian so he could study Ukrainian toys on a scientific level Andriy eventually launched the creation of the museum in his native village almost all the master’s time is absorbed by work in the newly created museum Andriy Bondaruk knows the history of each exhibit and he shares the descriptions of the techniques by which this or that toy is made It is important for local historians that the museum be relevant — A permanent display is being formed in the second hall while in this one we change displays so that there is always something new and interesting for visitors So it won’t be like this: “We’ve already been to that museum Among the museum exhibits some toys are over a hundred years old and there are also samples of the middle 20th century The oldest toy — a rattle — dates back to 1894 It stands out by its miniature size so that a baby can hold it The museum of Kniahynynok also represents items that are traditional not only for Ukrainian culture: Andriy finds exhibits for his museum in different ways other things are brought by the local villagers and still others have to be borrowed for the museum expositions Among the exhibits are Andriy’s products as well studies the ancient tools used to create traditional wooden toys without changing the manufacturing technique The master himself hasn’t played with toys for a long time; however he talks about each of his works with some special warmth Among the exhibits of the museum — a tiny shuttle All of them are stored in an open showcase because most of the visitors consist of kids The most beloved toy of the young visitors is a ring with a small ball that is called “popadalka” (similar to a cup-and-ball game) in the museum: — We’ve been to different festivals abroad so this is such an international language of the game Another version of this toy is a cup-and-ball One of the French kings even played with this toy during state receptions it’s an international toy that is typical for various European nations The European name for it (in French style) is bilboquet Andriy’s wife Iryna Sardak-Bondaruk is an artist and illustrator she organizes workshops on creating and painting wooden toys in the museum such events are not only interesting to children — At these workshops kids draw a toy — a simple concise — and then they later film it on their gadgets the wooden one will still be interesting because it’s warm One of the exhibits of the Volyn museum is little hammers made in the 70s and 80s of the last century The working principle is very simple: they take turns hitting the center of the toy The peculiarity of this toy is that it’s crafted with only one knife and no more tools The whole construction is fastened by small blades laid on the back This toy was carved out of a young oak by a man for his daughter One car was donated to the museum by a man who found it as a child in the woods Another car together with a cart was made in the 1930s for his children by one inhabitant of Bukovyna You can see that many generations of children played with this car: the bottom of it is rubbed and polished and the wheels have been changed many times The museum presents some other toy vehicles Andriy says that such toys have been widespread since people began to swim by the real boats They used to be hung up with ropes to a beam in a house and tied with a red ribbon as an amulet from evil spirits and different troubles Both traditional rocking horses and sledges were popular Even though there is no rocking horse in the museum the sledges found their place in the exhibition It is interesting that the tree for them wasn’t bent in any way The master just found a suitable curved branch There are not only wooden products among the museum exhibits but also metallic ones For example a toy iron of the mid-19th century is made of sheet metal This technology was widespread before irons began to be made of plastic Noise toys are widely represented in the exposition the vurkalo has been known since ancient times A small toy with a rope untwists and makes quite a loud sound It was a noise-making ritual instrument for the peoples of Australia and Oceania Such a toy as a rattle or “derkach” (scraper — tr.) or “polokhalo” is also known in Ukraine It had some practical use: children scared birds away from the harvest with it toys were popular that were miniaturized versions of everyday things: little knives Folk craftsmen often produced rocking toys in shapes of tractors The simplest rocking toy is a wooden pole with wheels Children also like peg-tops that have been widespread on the territory of Ukraine since the times of Kyivan Rus Andriy says that one time even puzzles used to be produced in Volyn — This is a puzzle of “moroka” (trouble — tr.) in some other regions “pine cone” was a different puzzle It’s a task to make some spatial composition of six bricks Most often such toys were made by shepherds With only a knife they created toys and gave them to their younger sisters and brothers as presents It would seem that such filigree work as making toys requires a large spacious workshop with a lot of equipment His plans include a full-fledged workshop with “all the gadgets” All the tools in his workshop are mostly modern These are better to use for work with raw wood — to polish it better The main equipment of the workshop is a lathe Andriy makes almost everything with it: from small blanks to full-fledged products These days all you need to get the work started is to press the button and to adjust the speed In ancient times the craftsman had not only to sharpen the tool and to choose the wood the master had to stand and set the machine in motion with his foot and it forced the workpiece to work that was clamped on the machine and from which he carved various objects with a large cutting tool: table legs Andriy’s collection includes not only a modern lathe The master identified the age of the old lathe by type of bolts: — If you look at these bolts — they are square so most likely it’s from around the interwar period Because after the war there was a lot of broken equipment and to make something new a blacksmith would not have to forge that bolt You could simply go and take the bolt you needed from some German tank or car In the process of his work Andriy cares about safety precautions: many old masters had one or another injury: both carpenters and blacksmiths injured their fingers and eyes and quite often they developed lung disease from inhaling sawdust For every turned product first of all you need to make blanks you need round “pancakes”; for elongated products bricks are cut out It’s important to mark and center a future toy correctly and then make a hole straight through the middle of it When making toys a craftsman often needs to use a strict tool like calipers Especially when two details must be identical — for instance wheels — because if he makes a mistake the toy won’t go One of the main processes in the toy-making is turning Andriy uses templates only for mass production of souvenirs This way they turn out more interesting and original: — The toys that are ground somewhere in China and delivered [to Ukraine] are all identical And when you take some different templates — it’s like the same toy Andriy says that at one time a master used to live in their village and he could cut the product with just one cutter Nowadays there are very few specialists who could make a product so simply with the help of only one cutter And a man who was staying and sharpening all day long that today there are simply no masters like that The penultimate stage of production is polishing This process is monotonous; it requires time and patience The master spends less effort on turning the toy different species of wood require some special approaches: — In order for the product to be sanded very well and then you grind it when the pile has risen Because there are some wood species that if it isn’t wet it doesn’t grind well The final process in making a wooden toy is painting Wood has its specifics: it absorbs various substances well To prevent the toy from becoming a carrier of infection It’s good to cover it with a linseed oil: the toy remains protected and can be washed easily — Acrylic paints are really popular now: they are considered to be safer than oil or alkyd ones And you can cover a toy with acrylic paints and then wash it — nothing would happen to it Andriy Bondaruk admits that he did not immediately realize modern people’s need for traditional wooden toys his desire to explore and reproduce an authentic thing and after that came the realizing of the utilitarian function of the toys I didn’t even set a goal to make 10 or 20 of them I was interested in reproducing each toy in one copy and simply demonstrating for children the toys that existed in the past and to draw their attention to the folk culture this way And then I realized that people need the toys Andriy was honored to introduce Ukraine through his project “Ukrainian Toy” abroad The Volyn resident believes that the toy is a product which may be a symbol of our country the production of the wooden toy can be established in his native Volyn and it would support authentic Ukrainian traditions and provide jobs — It’s as if it’s all forgotten and it’s too bad when the authentic stuff isn’t supported He wants to complete designing the museum’s permanent exposition And the most important — to continue promoting Ukrainian toys Even such a small thing as a children’s toy retains a great memory after all This fashion comes from Europe and America cars — they are still all around the world but still the wooden toy remains unchanged for many people Involved in the preparation of the material 13 volunteers