On the night of June 21, Ukrainians gathered to celebrate Ivan Kupala Night in Khortytsya, an important historical site on the Dnieper River. The festival marks the summer solstice -- the longest day and shortest night of the year -- and draws on ancient pagan and Slavic traditions. Participants danced, decorated trees, placed wreaths on the water, and created effigies of Slavic gods. Throughout Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, the holiday is often celebrated on the night of July 6, in keeping with the old Julian calendar.
Ivan Kupala Night: A Slavic Solstice Celebration In Ukraine
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People dance in a circle during a celebration of Ivan Kupala Night in Khortytsya on June 21.
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A reveler holds up a symbol of Ukraine.
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Participants carry effigies to act out a scene of the meeting and marriage of Morena and Kupala, Slavic pagan gods who represent the water and the sun.
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During the celebration, women dance and sing around an effigy of the goddess Morena, who is associated with the death and rebirth of nature.
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Ivan Kupala refers to John the Baptist, but incorporates the name of the god Kupala. The celebration weaves together old fertility rites with the later arrival of the Christian feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
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The bonfire is an important part of the celebration. Some revelers jump over the fire in a test of bravery that also offers the promise of purification.
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Participants decorate the Kupala tree, often a willow, with ribbons.
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Legend holds that if one makes a wish while decorating the tree, it will come true.
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Men dance to the rhythm of a drum.
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A woman weaves a wreath out of grass and flowers that carry symbolic meaning. According to folk beliefs, plants collected on Ivan Kupala Night hold special powers.
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A wreath floats on the Dnieper River. Young women place wreaths on the water for divination: the direction they float is said to show where each woman's future husband lives.
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Women also weave wreathes if their partners are already present. If a man can retrieve his beloved's wreath from the water before it floats away, it's seen as a good sign for their future together.
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The holiday ends with the return of Kupala and Morena to the elements they embody. The effigy of Morena is thrown into the water and Kupala is burnt in the bonfire.
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A couple jumps over the bonfire, a gesture said to help strengthen their bond.
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The effigy of Morena floats in the river.
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