Members of the Hutsul ethnic group in western Ukraine continue to observe their traditions. RIA Novosti has compiled a photo essay of a traditional Hutsul wedding.
Members of the Hutsul ethnic group in western Ukraine continue to observe their traditions. RIA Novosti has compiled a photo essay of a traditional Hutsul wedding.
Photo: Newlyweds from the village of Kosmach in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region of Ukraine.
Photo: Newlyweds from the village of Kosmach in the Ivano-Frankivsk Region of Ukraine.
At Hutsul weddings, it is traditional for everyone to wear ethnic clothing and for horses to be decorated.
Photo: A boy prepares a horse for the wedding ceremony.
Photo: A boy prepares a horse for the wedding ceremony.
Wedding processions on horseback are a long-standing Hutsul tradition.
Photo: Relatives of the groom ride horses to the church ceremony.
Photo: Relatives of the groom ride horses to the church ceremony.
Relatives of the groom ride horses to the church ceremony.
The Hutsuls are a deeply religious ethnic group. Therefore the church ceremony is the most important part of the wedding, unlike in some parts of the former Soviet Union, where civil ceremonies dominate.
Photo: The bride and groom enter the church before the wedding ceremony.
Photo: The bride and groom enter the church before the wedding ceremony.
The bride and groom, wearing traditional Hutsul attire, get married in church.
The bride and groom, wearing traditional Hutsul attire, get married in church.
The bride and groom, wearing traditional Hutsul attire, get married in church.
A boy stands in church during the wedding ceremony.
A young girl sits on a bench during the wedding ceremony.
The bride and groom visit the grave of the groom’s mother after the wedding ceremony.
According to online media reports, wedding parties last for several days and feature singing, dancing and lots of games.
Photo: The groom and his closest relatives walk around the wedding table as part of the send-off ritual before the church ceremony.
Photo: The groom and his closest relatives walk around the wedding table as part of the send-off ritual before the church ceremony.
