Say "Palianytsia!", or Ukrainian Shibboleth

Hello, guys!

Sonia and I are back to you with the story of another Kyiv mini sculpture that appeared in Kyiv in November 2022. The Ukrainian work "palianytsia" has become a shibboleth in the first days and months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Sonia was born in Ukraine (literally, created by Ukrainian craftswoman) so she is familiar with palianytsia but what is shibboleth?

Oxford Dictionary explains it as "a custom, word, etc. that distinguishes one group of people from another". Spot on!

In the first weeks of the invasion, it was important to distinguish friends from enemies. Sometimes Russians changed into civilian clothes or into Ukrainian military uniforms from captured warehouses to pass themselves off as Ukrainians.

This is when shibboleth words came in handy. We used them as a code word for verification. Ukrainians know their meaning and know how to pronounce them. Even those who speak Russian. But the people of Russia merely cannot pronounce it due to phonetic features and do not understand the meaning. In those days, Russian TV said on that the word "pa[o]lyanitsa" means "strawberry." This is how our creative password has also become a meme that pokes fun at their stupidity. Gosh, they really believed their propaganda that we are one people with them, LOL.

So, passing a block post on one of those days, you could often be asked to say "palianytsia". And what does it mean?

Palianytsia is a type of Ukrainian bread, made of wheat flour, round in shape. Before baking, a horizontal incision is made on it, which forms a crust on top of the bread. The name means burnt, because often the crust is slightly burnt.

This morning, my husband returned from combat duty, and I suggested that we meet in the downtown, have breakfast together and a little walk. A few days ago, the heat subsided, so walking around the city became pleasant again.

The mini-sculpture is installed on the wall of Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv, to the left of the main entrance. The hotel is located on the Dnipro embankment, next to Post Square and the river station. There is always a lot of sun here in the morning.

Here it is, a symbol of Ukrainian hospitality, a round flat bread on a traditional embroidered towel.

In addition to being a symbol of wealth and prosperity, palianytsia also had a magical significance. It has been baked since ancient times and used during sacrifices.

The round shape of the bread signified the cyclical nature, the immortality of the dead souls and was used in all calendar and ritual holidays. Our ancestors believed that during the winter solstice the boundary between the worlds became thinner and the souls of the dead came to visit. The bread was the key.

It is no coincidence that guests were greeted with a bread on a towel. Guests also come to your house from another place, as if from another world. A towel is a road and at the same time a boundary that separates friends and foes. A stranger will not just enter the house. And the palyanytsia is a kind of pass.

(The source is the site of the project).

After the "mandatory program" and a brief photo session, we walked around a bit more.

There is a casino in the hotel. The entrance to it is around the corner. I don't think it has worked since the full invasion.

The hotel adjoins the former building of the Kyiv Steam Mill, the largest flour mill in Kyiv in 1857-1920. There is a narrow passage between the buildings to the inner courtyard.

We call it Brodsky's Mill since it became the property of the sugar king Lazar Brodsky shortly after the construction. The mill consisted of three buildings, but two of them were dismantled when this hotel was built. Only the building that served as a granary has survived. Now there is a library and a great book depository.