Alla Markaryan

Alla is a well-known Ukrainian master of decorative wood carving and motanka-dolls manufacture. She is from Poltava. Since 2009 Alla has been the head of Poltava regional branch of National Union of Folk Craft Masters.

Creative work

Alla Markaryan is a master of decorative wood carving. She works in Poltava regional technique which is characterized by a unity of several skillfully chosen carving methods: outline, geometric, raised, vegetative with a lot of elements such as “berries”, “buds”, “little plums” etc… A solar sign is an obligatory composition center. Two thirds of the item surface are covered by carving and one third is left smooth – for the wood “to breathe”. Normally, there is also some space among the components on the carved part for “air”. The depth and the sizes of the components are alternating (small, medium, large). Ready works are not painted and not coated by varnish.

The master also makes Ukrainian folk dolls – motankas. From the ancient times in villages grandmothers and mothers have been making similar ones for their children and young girls – to entertain themselves.