Volyn
Волинь
Volyn
(Ukrainian: Волинь) is the region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Pripyat and Western Buh – to the north of Halychyna and of Podillya – and is the site of one of the oldest Slavic settlements in Europe.
Historical Volyn’ (sometimes also referred to as “Volhynia”) was carved up by the Soviets, and now forms parts of sіх modern Ukrainian oblasts (Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky and Lviv), as well as parts of Poland (Chełm/Kholm) and Belarus. Major cities include Lutsk, Kovel, Kremenets, Rivne and Volodymyr-Volynskyi.
Volynians have an ancient history and are known for their somewhat stubborn nature. In pre-Christian times they were known as 
the Derevlyany (деревляни), and best known for killing the Kyivan king, Ihor, when he tried to collect tribute from them twice in one month. His wife, Queen Olha, took her revenge, killing Derevlyanian ambassadors and nobility, burning their capital of Iskorosten to the ground and leveling other towns, but also reformed tax law.
The Derevlyany were the last tribe to accept Christianity, but the Volynians, once converted, stayed converted, and were among the only western Ukrainians to preserve their Оrthodox faith and resist Catholicism. They fought both Polonization and Russification in the twentieth century, and Volyn was the birthplace of the UPA, the resistance army that fought in WWII against the Germans, Russians and Poles.
(Illustration on the right: Prince Igor Exacting Tribute from the Drevlyans, by Klavdiy Lebedev (1852-1916))
Volyn’ has preserved its identity, despite being carved up by Soviet cartographers. It retains its traditional folkways, including its traditional costumes, which are now worn only for folk performances or special occasions.
Volynian costume on Ukrainian stamps
Traditional wedding costumes from Volodymyr Volynskyi region
Its pysanka patterns have been preserved, too. In the 1960s, Plast published a series of pysanka stamps. Representative pysanky from all regions of the country were included. This is the one they included for Volyn’:
Oddly enough, this is probably the worst example they could have chosen, as Volynian pysanky are only sometimes floral, and tend more towards the geometric. Stamps put out by the Ukrainian government a few years ago did a better job of representing Volyn’.
For photos of these pysanky, go to the photo gallery here.
My mother is from Volyn’, from the village of Kniazhe (Княже) in southwestern Volyn. I still have a lot of family in the region, and consider myself more than half Volynian. That is why this region and these pysanky have a special place in my affections.
Village scene, Volyn’
Below: A map of Volyn throughout history
Volyn during various periods of history
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