Palianytsia: Tradicionalni ukrajinski kruh i tajna riječ

Toplo mi je oko srca što moja kći ima priliku slaviti Dane kruha u svojoj hrvatskoj školi na isti način kao što bi to činila u školi u Ukrajini.

Dobro je poznato da je Ukrajina jedan od najvećih svjetskih izvoznika pšenice i drugih žitarica. A tradicija pečenja kruha je zaista sveta u našoj zemlji. Palianytsia, tradicionalni kruh od bijele pšenice pečen u pećnici, poznat je po svojoj hrskavoj korici, okruglom obliku i simboličnom značenju.

Palianytsia se često koristi kao simbol mira i prosperiteta. Može se dati kao poklon dobrodošlice ili dar mladencima, na tradicionalnoj vezenoj tkanini zvanoj “ručnik”. Palianytsia se koristi u ritualnim i kalendarskim svečanostima.

Važno je ovdje spomenuti da je Ukrajina preživjela strašne umjetne gladi uzrokovane sovjetskom vladom u 20. stoljeću, poznate kao Holodomor. I moja baka, rođena nekoliko godina nakon gladi i neposredno prije Drugog svjetskog rata, jela je sve s kruhom: tjesteninu, krumpir, povrće i juhe. U mnogim ukrajinskim domovima bilo je zabranjeno ostavljati mrvice na stolu ili ih čak bacati.

Kada je Rusija napala Ukrajinu 2022. godine, riječ “Palianytsia” spontano je postala tajna riječ za prijatelje i neprijatelje. Njezin izgovor je težak za one koji ne govore ukrajinski. Stoga se koristila za provjeru komunicirate li s ukrajinskim govornikom ruskog jezika ili ruskim okupatorom.

Postoji čak i mini-spomenik Palianytsia ručniku koji vas izaziva da ga pronađete dok ste u Kijevu. Adresa je Ulica Naberežno-Hreščaticka 1 (na zidu hotela Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv).

Palianytsia: Ukrainian traditional bread and a code-word

It warms my heart that my daughter has an opportunity to celebrate Dani kruha in her Croatian school the same way she would at a school in Ukraine.

It is well-known that Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest exporters of wheat and other grains. And the bread baking tradition is really sacred in our country. Palianytsia, a traditional oven baked bread of white wheat, is known for its crispy crust, round form, and symbolic meaning.

Palianytsia is often used as a symbol of peace and prosperity. It can be given as a welcome present or a gift to newlyweds, on a traditional embroidered cloth called “rushnyk”. Palianytsia is used in ritual and calendar festivities.

It is important to mention here that Ukraine survived terrible men-made famines caused by Soviet government in the XXth century known as Holodomor. And my grandmother, born a couple of years after the famine and just before WWII, ate everything with bread: pasta, potatoes, vegetables and soups. In many Ukrainian homes, it was forbidden to leave breadcrumbs on the table or even throw them away.

When Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, the word “palianytsia” spontaneously became a code-word for friends and foes. Its pronunciation is difficult for non-Ukrainian speakers. Hence, it was used to check if you communicate with a Russian speaking Ukrainian or a Russian occupant.

There is even a mini-monument to palianytsia on a rushnyk which you are challenged to find while in Kyiv. A hint: its address is 1 Naberezhno-Khreshchatytska Street (on the wall of the hotel Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv).