UWC calls to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity on World Vyshyvanka Day

The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) urges Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine worldwide to wear traditional embroidered shirts — vyshyvankas — and take to the streets on May 15 to celebrate World Vyshyvanka Day and show public support for Ukrainians in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

This year, UWC invites all participants to walk in honor of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories. Wear your vyshyvankas on behalf of those who cannot — residents of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv, who live under the threat of persecution.

For decades, Russia — whether as the Soviet Union, the Russian Empire, or in other forms — has tried to erase the Ukrainian language, culture, and traditions. Yet even in exile and deportation, Ukrainians continued to embroider — their vyshyvankas became a quiet act of resistance.

On World Vyshyvanka Day, UWC is reminding the world about Ukraine’s occupied lands, their unique cultural heritage, and the Ukrainians who cannot safely express their identity today.

The campaign slogan is #VyshyvankaForever: the occupation is temporary, but the vyshyvanka is timeless. UWC invites everyone to post photos on social media featuring embroidery patterns from the occupied regions, with the phrase: “I wear my vyshyvanka for…” — followed by the name of a region or a person.

Free visual materials for social media and rallies — including banners and embroidery designs from occupied territories — are available to download and adapt. You can access them via the link.