Jul 04, 2022

Newly Installed Sculpture in Prague Honors Ukrainian Mothers

Prague Morning

In the center of Prague appeared an unusual sculpture – a figure of a woman hovering at a height of several meters. The work called Vinok is dedicated to all Ukrainian mothers who suffered from the Russian military invasion.

The author of the sculpture is Czech artist Veronika Psotková. The installation can be found at Dlouhá 731/33.

Vinok is a traditional Ukrainian floral headdress. The custom of knitting decorative wreaths dates back to pagan times. They had magical value as an attribute of the arrival of spring and the Kupala Night, also called Ivanа-Kupala, a traditional Slavic holiday that was originally celebrated on the shortest night of the year, which is on 21-22 and in Eastern Slavic countries according to traditional Julian calendar on the night between 6 to 7 July.

The wreath has long become a symbol of the Ukrainian nation. The floral crowns were traditionally designed for girls and young unmarried women as a sign of their “purity”.

In the wake of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution, there has been a surge in national pride, especially in terms of fashion.

vinok sculpture prague