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Motanka: Threads of Memory - A Cultural Workshop

Kolovita at Deschutes Public Library

Explore the Ukrainian tradition of the Motanka!

Registration Required. This workshop is designed for adults, teens, and older kids. Youth ages 12 and up may participate independently. Children ages 9–11 are welcome to participate with an accompanying adult. The workshop is not recommended for children under 9, as the process requires sustained attention and hands-on skills that may be difficult for younger children even with adult assistance.

Explore the Ukrainian tradition of the Motanka through story, symbolism, and hands-on making. Led by Ukrainian artist and cultural facilitator Liudmyla Sokol, participants will create a Podorozhnytsia, a traditional Motanka associated with travel, memory, and the journey.

The workshop will include a short introduction to Motanka traditions and symbolism, followed by step-by-step instruction as participants create their own doll to take home.

And most importantly — bring your smile and a good mood! That’s the most important thing you’ll need for this workshop.

This event is part of Future Heritage, Kolovita’s seasonal cultural series rooted in the rhythms of living tradition.

About the Instructor

Liudmyla Sokol is a Ukrainian artist, textile maker, and cultural educator from Odesa, now living in Southern Oregon. She works in the Costume Department at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and is the founder of the Ukrainian cultural group Kalynonka. After leaving Ukraine following the full-scale invasion, Liudmyla found in traditional Motanka-making both a connection to home and a meaningful way to share Ukrainian culture with her new community. Through her workshops, she combines textile artistry, storytelling, and living tradition, inviting participants to create with care, curiosity, and a good spirit.

Kolovita is an Oregon-based nonprofit creating spaces where culture, creativity, and community come together. Through culturally rooted arts, storytelling, intergenerational learning, and community partnerships, Kolovita brings living traditions into contemporary community life and creates opportunities for people of different backgrounds to learn, participate, and connect. Its Future Heritage programs celebrate culture not simply as something preserved from the past, but as something practiced, shared, and carried forward together.

Future Heritage. Built Together.

Questions? Contact emilyc@deschuteslibrary.org