The history of Motanka, a traditional Ukrainian guardian doll
Motankas (Мотанка) are ancient Ukrainian family talismans. They are the symbol of prosperity, goodness and hope. Then first knotted dolls appeared about 5,000 years ago, and represented the unity of the family and deep connection between multiple generations.
The name "motanka" comes from the word “motaty” (to wind) which consists in making a knotted doll out of fabric, without using a needle and scissors. Motanka served as a talisman of human destiny and our ancestors believed that destiny cannot be pierced or cut. Generally dolls were in the shape of a human figure, usually a woman or a child, and were made from pieces of fabric from old clothes of family members connected by knots.
Each doll was unique and made with only good intentions and sincerity as it was believed that it has power and will act as a protector of a household and it’s inhabitants.
Motankas differ from ordinary dolls by "empty" faces. Our ancestors believed that giving the doll a face could tie a person's soul to it. Therefore faces have no facial features and instead the Motanka dolls have multicoloured threads laid out in a cross shape across the face instead. The cross is a pagan symbol of the Sun where horizontal lines meant feminine, and vertical - masculine.
You have sent us collective strength via social networks.
-
A nice story behind the idea
Since we published a post on Linkedin to thank our colleague Ihor for the souvenir he sent us from Ukraine, we have received throughout these weeks, many messages asking where to buy these amazing hand made dolls and if there was any charity campaign around it.
This gave us the energy to finally start a project we had in mind for many months. To launch a fundraising campaign to help all the families affected by the Ukrainian War and donate the 100% of the benefits to:
https://u24.gov.ua (Official fundraising platform of ukraine)
-
Faced with good initiatives, we can only act
To do this, we have asked our friend Ihor, Ukrainian native and resident in the country, to send us to our Madrid office, some units of this beautiful hand made dolls, and allocate them to this cause.
Each doll is approximately 28 centimeters high and 10 centimeters wide, and can be purchased for a minimum donation of 50 euros.
However, you can donate a higher amount if you want, TECHXONN will be in charge of collecting all the funds and donate 100% of the benefits here:
(The only costs that will be paid with these donations are those related to the manufacturing and shipping the Motanka to you).
Many hours of manual labor for hope
- The process of making such dolls is called “kutannya” or swaddling as it is very similar to swaddling a baby. Motankas were made by women using the lunar calendar. On the full moon the doll was created for protection; on the descending moon- to protect from diseases and failures; Motankas made during the ascending moon were for achieving a good result in any business.
- Additionally, it was forbidden to make dolls on Friday and Sunday, because these days belong to the goddess of women's diligence and needlework, Makosha. A doll had to be made in one day using natural fabrics and threads. The winding of the doll was to be carried out only clockwise, always accompanied by positive thoughts.
- During the Soviet times, traditions associated with making Motanka dolls were somewhat lost. However, more recently these dolls have made a come back and many households in Ukraine and overseas have acquired Motanka dolls as traditional Ukrainian oberihs.
Please help purchasing a Motanka dolls
-
I want to purchase a Motanka
You can help Ukraine people purchasing a hand made Motanka doll for a mínimum donation of 50€ (But you can donate a higher amount of money if you want)
To do so, you have to send a bank transfer to TECHXONN and send us the proof of payment and your address to which we should send the doll by e-mail to the following address: help-ukraine@techxonn.com
TECHXONN TEAM SL. IBAN: LT903250072263550724 BIC: REVOLT21 Address: CALLE MUSGO, 5 - PLT 2, CALLE MUSGO, 5 - PLT 2, 28023, MADRID, España Bank name: Revolut Bank UAB Bank address: Konstitucijos ave. 21B, 08130, Vilnius, Lituania
-
What are the costs of the campaign and how much do I contribute with 50€ (euro)?
The cost of manufacture and transport to Spain is about 15 euros per doll (the price of transport fluctuates a little based on courier costs). Then we'll have to add the cost of shipping to your address. We estimate anothers 10€. That makes a total cost of 25€.
So with 50€ donation, you are contributing around 25€ to United24.
-
When will I receive the Motanka?
Since it is a completely manual process, it takes about 1.5 months to manufacture 75 dolls. On top of that, you have to add the shipping time.
So we expect to be able to ship the dolls every 2 months. Right now (21/06/2023) we have some of them already in our office, so shipment today will be faster (3-5 days for Spain addresses)
-
Do you send the dolls outside Spain?
Initially we thought to send the dolls only inside the Spanish territory, however, if you live outside our country and you still want to purchase a Motanka, write us an email and we will evaluate each case, we depend on international shipments.
-
If the stock runs out, how long will I have to wait to receive it?
We receive orders every 1.5 months, so in case of out of stock or any other inconvenience, we will contact you to let you know when you will receive it.