Traditional neck jewelry of Opillya ethnic region in western Ukraine
Opillya ethnic region is located south-east of the city of Lviv, within Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil regions. It is bordered by the Zolota Lypa River in the east, the Vereshchytsia River in the west, the Dniester River in the south, and the Lviv Plateau, the Golohory and the Przemyślany Lowlands in the north.
The main component was a coral necklace made of mostly large in diameter coral beads or its imitation. Such necklace had from 2 to 15 or more strands. The beads in the rows were laid smaller at the edges and larger in the middle, the size of the beads increased from the top to the bottom row. A dukach coin was attached near the largest bead. Crosses were also used as a pendant to the necklace or on a separate ribbon. In addition to coral, there were also glass necklaces, in which rows of beads of larger diameter were laid on the chest at intervals, and rows of smaller ones were worn around the neck or near the collar.
Oddly enough, there is almost no information in scientific and local history sources about the neck ornaments that were widespread in this ethnoregion. It is known that beaded ornaments were made in Opillya, in particular, toothed syliankas, long beaded ribbons that were tied on the chest with a light single knot, angular gerdans and rosette gerdans with a rectangular medallion on the chest.
Zoriana Kuryliak