1. Great Personalities Vera Roik:“This Woman Embroiders Ukraine” Project made by Inna Bredunova, Evelina Gudmanova, Selim Appazov Form 10-A Gymnasium 9 Coordinator Lyudmila Katsura teacher-methodologist

2. Roik Vera Sergeyevna (25.04.1911 - 03.10.2010)

3. She was born on April 25, 1911 in Lubny,Poltava region. Vera studied at the Poltava Mariinsky ballet school - studio, in the Poltava Institute of the Agricultural Production. She worked in artel of embroidery.She became the master of artistic embroidery.

4. Roik had known 300 kinds of embroidery techniques. The first success came to her in 1936 at the All-Union Exhibition of Amateur Art in Moscow.During the World War II was serious contused and did not get up out of bed for two years. In the Stavropol region, where she moved in 1944, she slowly regained her embroidery techniques.

5. V.Roik liked to embroider birds,especially cocks.The cock was considered to be a sacred bird among the slavs.A red-light cock is associated with the Sun. In Roik’s perception the cock is the symbol of dawn.In the Ukrainian folk art of embroidery the trees with the symmetric and assymmetric branches,leaves and flowers are often depicted. According to folks beliefs the depiction of the tree of life brought kindness,happiness and took all the evil away. V. Roik wrote “I try to depict my patterns light and gay,that’s why the stylized trees acquare natural features and birds are well combined with trees and flowers.The flowers themselves symbolize the constantly changing life and beauty of the world.Mind,colour is very important in embroidery”.

6. Since 1952, she had been living in Simferopol,the Crimea. During 1952-1955 she worked as a teacher of needlework in Simferopol school number 9. In 1963 she finished the annual rates of embroidery, tailoring and sewing art training complex in Moscow. She had been working for over 10 years in secondary schools of our city and at the courses of art of embroidery in the regional House of Teachers.She had been a methodologist of fine and decorative art in the House of Folk and Amateur workers.

7. V.S. Roik created a school of Ukrainian folk embroidery in the Crimea. This gifted teacher and artist was able to convey to people not only skills, but above all love for the art of the Ukrainians. V.S. Roik embroiders in a purely traditional, centuries-old art which is kept alive relationship with a Ukrainian folk art.

8. Her works are in 44 museums around the world. She was a member of 287 public art exhibitions not only in Ukraine but also in other former Soviet republics, as well as in Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Mongolia,the USA, Croatia and etc. 140 personal exhibitions of her works the "Ukrainian napkin", including all the regional centres of Ukraine, in Russia, Germany, Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey. During the exhibition the master conducted workshops, delivered lectures on Ukrainian art of embroidery and gave advices to all the people who were interested in embroidery.

9. On August 19,2006 V.Roik was awarded the title of the Hero of Ukraine for the outstanding contribution to the cultural development of Ukraine, establishment of national traditions of arts and crafts, creative and pedagogical activity.

10. Vera Roik is: -the Hero of Ukraine; -the Merited master of Folk Arts; -the Merited artist of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea; -a member of the National League of Folk Craftsmanship; -a member of the Art League of the USSR; -an honourable member of the Association of the scientists of the Crimea and “Prosvita” society; -an honourable citizen of the towns of Kobelyaki, Lubnu Poltava region and Simferopol; -the laureate of the Association of National societies and communities of the peoples of the Crimea, V.Korolenko laureate, P.Slastyon laureate.

11. She was awarded the Order of Princess Olga of the III-rd level (04.19.2001, for significant contribution to the development of national culture and art, significant creative achievements), the Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (23.06.2004, for significant contribution to the development of culture and art and professionalism), the Order of St. Nicholas (2003), the Order of St. Barbara (2006).

12. In 2006 the International Prize in Folk Art named after V.S. Roik was founded. According to the decision of the Presidium of the Fund's International Awards V.Roik got the medal and the certificate number 1 for her significant contribution into the increasing of the national achievements and traditions of the Ukrainian embroidery.

13. On April 21,2011 a memorial plaque dedicated to the world-known Ukrainian embroidereress Vera Roik was installed on the face of the Simferopol gymnasium 9.

14. It was unveiled by Lyudmila Katsura, the teacher-methodologist of the higher category and Alexei Maiko,the President of the school self-government.

15. From Vera Sergeyevna Roik’s Interview “I was born on April 25,1811 in a picturesque town of Lubny in Poltava region. My father was a railway employee,and mother was a professional graphic artist.My mother knew perfectly well French,Polish,Russian and Ukrainian languages,and my father knew German.” There were three children in Sergey Sosyurko’s family- two sons Boris and Eugene and a daughter Vera. “I was small,thin,but a terrible hooligan,-laughs Vera Sergeyevna,-I fought or hit little boys from a neighboring yard,who teased me “Verchik-pepper”.I climbed the roof of the barn and shot them from a bow.

16. While living in Poltava the writer Vladimir Korolenko,a distant relative of my mother came to us weekly.By the way, Panas Mirny and later Anton Makarenko were frequent guests in our house.Vladimir Galaktionovich talked to mum,dad,and then we had been talking for hours on literary themes.A grandfather Volodya,as we children called him,said:”Vera,you must read Pushkin’s fairy tales,short stories by Turgenev,Goncharov.But I was only six years old! So I owe much to V.G.Korolenko.He was a very charming person. When I was six years old,I began to study music and needlework.”

17. The elder Vera became,the more she enjoyed embroidery.The girl graduated from a high school in Poltava,she was engaged in a ballet studio,and then studied at the Institute for Agricultural Workers’ construction and she worked in the artel in Lubny.Shortly before the occupation Vera got under the bombardment. As a result-she had fractures and a broken right arm.The embroidery works saved Vera Roik,her small son Vadim and mother from starvation as mother Lidiya Erazmovna exchanged them for food.Her damaged right hand did not become an obstacle for creatings things you love-Vera Sergeyevna learned to embroider with the left hand.

18. She created a real school of Ukrainian folk embroidery in the Crimea.Vera Sergeyevna continued to embroider without glasses.Vera Roik has mastered 300 species of embroidery,but her favourite technique is the cross stitching.She organized 140 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 300.Today her embroidered works are in 44 museums around the world.“I do not sell my works but always give them to people”. A poet once said about Vera Roik:”This woman embroiders the Ukraine…”In 2003 Vera Sergeevna published the autobiographical book “Music on the canvas.”

19. This woman embroiders Ukraine and the past revires on the linen. This woman embroiders our land: poppies,asters,lilies and dahlias gladden our world. Let the land blooming Let the rushniks cover Ukraine And your unearthly labour Glorifies our Motherland for ever. This woman embroiders her dream Such a clean and holly Where we can see the dawn in the sky Where there’s bread and salt on the embroidered rushnik.