Syracuse Symposium will close with a celebration of Ukrainian folk art traditions

Syracuse Symposium will close with a celebration of Ukrainian folk art traditionsApril 16, 2002Judy Holmesjlholmes@syr.edu

The final event for the 2002 Syracuse Symposium, “Exploring Beauty,” will be a celebration of Ukrainian folk art traditions at 10 a.m. May 2 in Room 205 of Syracuse University’s Hall of Languages. The event is free and open to the public.

The celebration will feature a demonstration and discussion by Auburn resident Pauline Yarema, a Ukrainian native, who will present a handmade korovai to the University. Korovai is traditional braided wedding bread that is decorated with birds and flowers skillfully shaped from bread dough. The word korovai means “sun’s gift” or “the gift of love.” The birds on the wedding bread represent love and the pinecones symbolize fertility. The korovai traditionally stands in the center of the bridal table, and serves as a link between the newlyweds and their Ukrainian ancestors.

Yarema grew up on her family’s farm in the village of Trybuchwi in the Ukraine. When their village was invaded by the German army during World War II, her mother and sisters buried the family’s intricately embroidered linens in the yard so that they could eventually return and save their handmade treasures. After the war, Yarema emigrated from the Ukraine to Auburn, where she has continued to pass on Ukrainian folk art traditions to Central New York residents.

The Syracuse Symposium is an annual University-wide intellectual and creative festival hosted by The College of Arts and Sciences in collaboration with schools and colleges from across the University. The opportunities provided by the symposium are supportive of initiatives in the University’s Academic Plan directed at expanding opportunities for multidisciplinary intellectual discourse for students.