Virtual Vertep Vision is a series of articles and videos dedicated to each character of the traditional Ukrainian Vertep. Created as part of the project “BoykoTravel: Vertep PreServes Ukraine”, implemented with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.
On this day the Holy Child is born,
Ukrainian brothers come to greet Him, Lord:
Lemkos are singing, Podolians playing,
Volynians reflecting, Boykos lightly dancing,
Poltavians clapping, Hutsuls trembita-playing:
Tra-ra, tra-ra, tra-ra, tra-ra-ra!
(Children’s carol, approx. 1930s)
The image of the Ukrainian shepherd in the Vertep is a vivid example of inculturation – the Gospel story embodied through forms of national culture. Through folk speech, clothing, music, and humor, the biblical narrative takes root in familiar images, becomes alive and near – continuing the kenosis of God, His descent into human reality.
Already in the earliest known Ukrainian Vertep – the Sokyrynskyi – shepherds appear with typical Ukrainian names: Hrytsko and Prytsko. They speak in lively folk language, adding humor and everyday flavor to the biblical story. In these characters, the people recognize themselves:
Sweet Jesus, we are poor men,
Gold and gifts we cannot lend,
But a richer gift we bear from near –
A heart of faith, and love sincere.
In different regions of Ukraine, shepherds in the Vertep were portrayed according to local tradition:
Kyiv Region. Shepherds wore kobenjaks – woolen cloaks with hoods, used since the 16th–17th centuries. It was a wide, sleeveless garment of gray or brown wool, worn over a sheepskin coat or svyta. The hood protected from wind, rain, and snow – practical for the open fields.
Transcarpathia. Shepherds wore white linen shirts and pants (hati), byrka hats, and held staffs decorated with tiny walnut bells that jingled playfully as they walked.
Contemporary Vertep. Shepherds often wear hunia (also called guǵlia, chuga, or siryak) – a traditional mountain woolen coat, shorter than the kobenjak. Sometimes they wear embroidered vests (koshushky) or stylized coats. Underneath – always an embroidered shirt. On their heads – straw hats or woolen caps (if wearing a hunia). On their feet – white linen trousers or gachi. The clothing, made from homemade woven fabric, gives authenticity, warmth, and a sense of realism.
The most distinctive symbol of the Ukrainian shepherd is the sopilka (flute) – a sign of joy, peace, and awakening. Not every shepherd plays it, but each carries a crook with a bell – both to scare off wolves and to remind him of his calling: to guard.
The Ukrainian shepherd in the Vertep is a participant in the miracle – not far away in Bethlehem, but among his own people. His clothing, speech, and behavior are not theatrical props, but prayer in culture – a sign that the Gospel is alive in the soul of a people who sing, dance, and believe – despite all.