Різдво та Маланка

Travel / History

Winter holidays in Ukraine, including the most colorful ones, Koliada and Malanka, combine ancient pagan and later Christian traditions. The rituals, costumes, and texts of carols vary not only between regions, but sometimes even within the same village. In Soviet times, the church, and thus all these holidays, were banned. Carolers and malanka players were detained for performing ritual songs. As a result, in most regions of Ukraine, the authentic tradition of celebration was interrupted for several decades. Today, it is gradually reviving or continuing in places where Soviet bans could not fully reach. Watch our documentary series to see how we have seen Christmas and Malanka in different regions of Ukraine over the years.