International Color Guide - Ukraine

Vibrant Color and Patterns Mark Ukrainian Color Traditions, to the Delight of the Country's Citizens.

The colors in the Ukrainian flag represent golden fields of grain under a clear blue sky, appropriate for a country known as the "bread basket" of its area.

The Ukrainian flag was light blue over yellow prior to the establishment of the Soviet Republic.

Ukrainian Pysanky Easter eggs, the colorful, patterned shapes known around the world, contain much of the country's color traditions. Native artisans produce wonderful designs that actually tell rich stories of the land.

Yellow on Pysanky eggs stands for light and purity; orange, strength; black, fear and death; brown, the earth; blue, good health; white, innocence; purple, faith and trust; green, fertility or hope; and red, a color which figures prominently in folklore, represents action or awakening.

Ancient pysanky carried a message of good will or fortune to the recipient. Today, the magical eggs contain more individualized art, with more personalized symbolisms.

	Purity, virginity, innocence and birth are associated with white. Black can mean constancy, eternity, the womb, death, fear or ignorance. Combining black and white can show respect for the dead.
	Red is a folkloric color in the Ukraine. It is a positive color that can mean action, fire, charity, spiritual awakening, the sun, love, and joy in life. In Christian traditions, red represents the love and passion of Christ.
	Yellow represents light and purity, youth and happiness, harvest, hospitality, love and benevolence.
	Used sparingly, blue signifies blue skies or air. It can be used to denote good health.
	Green signifies renewal, freedom from bondage, fertility, freshness, health and hopefulness. It is also the color of Christmas, Easter and the Epiphany.
	Orange signifies endurance, strength, ambition, and fire. It stands for the red of passion tempered with the yellow of wisdom.
	Brown symbolizes the earth and its bounty.
	Purple denotes fasting, faith, patience and trust.