The aim is to show Ukraine's national pride - the embroidered shirt "vyshyvanka" - and to highlight the crimes committed by Russia against Ukraine.
Vishyvanka Day is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of May in Ukraine and now worldwide. The embroidered shirt is a symbol of Ukraine's national identity, unity, and rich cultural heritage. Today, the Ukrainian embroidered shirt has a special meaning in the war launched by Russia: Ukrainians are forced to defend their national authenticity and to give their lives in the fight for it. Vyshyvanka is not just a garment, it is a talisman.
The gathering of Ukrainians in Riga was not just a celebration of the Vyshyvanka. During the march, Ukrainians also demanded the return of Ukrainian children taken captive.
Ukraine's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Latvia Anatolii Kutsevol stressed that for every Ukrainian, the vyshyvanka is more than a national costume - it reflects the unity and identity code of the nation.
On Thursday, World Vishivanka Day, some members of the Latvian Parliament wore shirts with Ukrainian national patterns, while an exhibition showing the variety of colorful national costumes was opened at the Parliament. The photo exhibition of Ukrainian national costumes from the collection of the Ivan Honchar Museum shows examples of traditional clothing and embroidery from different regions of Ukraine. Each region has its own embroidery traditions and ornamental symbolism, and each handmade shirt is unique and unrepeatable.
