Olena Afanasenko & “Butterflies in the Head” Sometimes, a single spark is all it takes to ignite a lifelong passion. In 2016, while working in publishing on an album dedicated to Ukrainian jewelry, Olena Afanasenko encountered a striking realization: while replicas of traditional folk costumes were widely available, the ornate ceremonial wreaths that once completed them had almost entirely vanished. This discovery led her on a mission to recover the lost art of waxed bridal and maiden wreaths, items so rare they are often absent even from major museum collections. Through meticulous archival research, the study of vintage photographs, and interviews with elders who still remembered the tradition, Olena pieced the craft back together. Alongside her colleague, Olena Pochtaryova, she founded the project “Butterflies in the Head” (Metelyky v holovi). The initiative is dedicated both to documenting the history of this cultural element and to the physical reconstruction of the wreaths. While the creators are primarily based near Cherkasy, their work encompasses the diverse regional traditions found across all of Ukraine.

The cultural significance of this craft was formally recognized in 2020, when the technology of making waxed wreaths in the Vinnytsia region was inscribed on Ukraine’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Contact www: Метелики в голові fb e-mail: po4taryova@gmail.com phone: +380 675938688