Окsana Tarapon
PhD in History, Associate Professor,
Head of the Research Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage
at the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve «Pereiaslav»
Pereіaslav, Ukraine
E-mail: oksanat72@ukr.net
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2947-3816
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.54.11
THE ZAZHYNKY RITE AND THE PROBLEMS OF OVERCOMING THE SOVIET LEGACY IN THE TRADITIONAL CULTURE OF UKRAINIANS: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PEREIASLAV REGION
The article analyzes the history of the displacement of the ancient Ukrainian rite of Zazhynky and its replacement by the Soviet collective farm celebration of Harvest Day during the Soviet period. Zazhynky (the First Sheaf ritual) belonged to the important rites of the agricultural cycle, marking the beginning of the harvest. Its successful performance depended on many factors and required careful preparation. Therefore, the beginning of the harvest among Ukrainians was accompanied by a series of ritual actions intended to ensure the successful gathering and preservation of crops.
Like the entire system of Ukrainian ritual culture, Zazhynky had a sacred meaning and performed a number of functions: consolidating the community, fostering respect for labor and a reverent attitude toward bread, and preserving ancient beliefs of Ukrainians, in which pre-Christian and Christian elements were intertwined. The eradication of national traditions began during the Soviet period. The new system of Soviet rituals was intended to fulfill a political and ideological educational function; it was formed and controlled by state authorities. The agricultural culture of Ukrainians was distorted by the collective farm system, including the marginalization of the Zazhynky rite. Instead, Harvest Day began to be widely celebrated, which in fact marked the completion of the harvest (Obzhynky) and was transformed into a collective farm-wide festival. Its organization was managed by Soviet authorities and cultural institutions; it was filled with Soviet ideological content and promoted communist values of collectivism and the primacy of party-state interests over social and individual ones.
The revival of the Zazhynky rite began in 2008. The reconstruction of this agricultural tradition has been carried out within the communities of the historical Pereiaslav region since 2020. The National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve “Pereiaslav” actively participates in the study and popularization of traditional customary culture. Today, an important task is the preservation and promotion of ethnic heritage, its cleansing of Soviet ideological remnants, and the return to national cultural roots.
Key words: Zazhynky, ritual practices, Ukrainian traditional culture, Soviet ritual system, Pereiaslav Region.
Received 24.03.2026.
Revised 13.04.2026.
Accepted 20.04.2026.
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