Narrator: It takes hours and at least three people
to set up this loom properly.
These long strings of wool form the base of a blanket
that's called lizhnyk.
It's made from sheep's wool by the Hutsul people,
an ethnic minority in Ukraine that's been weaving
for more than a century.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine goes on,
Natalya Kishchuk feels that weaving today
is more important than ever.
Narrator: We went to Yavoriv in western Ukraine
two days before the Russian invasion
to see how these woolen blanket are woven
and how this traditional craft is still standing.
These are Carpathian sheep, a local breed that's been raised
by the Hutsul people for more than 700 years.
Narrator: Shearing time comes once a year
when the weather gets warmer.
It takes wool from three sheep to make one blanket.
Natalya washes the raw wool in boiling water
before rinsing it in cold water.
She then hangs it outside to get cleaned again by the rain.
All this is to remove the strong smell
and make the yarn whiter.
Narrator: Natalya and her husband, Yaroslav,
were both born into weaving families.
Today, they run the business with their children.
Narrator: Yaroslav uses this wooden comb with metal teeth
to untangle the wool.
Natalya dyes some of the wool
before transforming it into yarn using a wooden spindle.
This process takes time.
So Natalya plans her next patterns and designs
while she spins.
Narrator: These songs have been passed down
from one generation to the next.
Natalya's 15-year-old daughter, Yuliia,
still sings them today.
She started to weave at the age of 3.
Narrator: She says singing while weaving brings her peace of mind.
(Singing) And that shepherd was not loved
Narrator: Natalya inherited this old loom from her grandfather,
who built it more than seven decades ago.
Together with her husband and daughter,
they add the thread.
It's used as a base for the blanket,
and it shouldn't be too thin or too thick.
Otherwise it can break during weaving.
It's an important step that takes expertise and patience.
Narrator: Natalya then adds the yarn in between the threads.
A simple pattern takes seven to eight hours to weave.
The more complicated ones
take two to three days.
In the past, the Hutsul wove basic black, gray,
and white blankets for their own use.
But in the 1920s, artist Paraska Karol-Shkriblyak
introduced more colors to the designs
and passed the craft to others in the village
and to Natalya's grandmother.
Narrator: Natalya's mother was a mathematician,
and her father was a physicist.
Her mother made blankets as a hobby,
but weaving wasn't profitable.
So she wanted a different life for her daughter.
But Natalya's passion for weaving
always pulled her back to it,
and she found a way to make money
by selling it online.
Today, these blankets are the main source of income
for the family.
Hutsul patterns feature diamonds, lines, and curves,
and every shape means something.
Narrator: The Hutsul people have held onto their dialect and beliefs
for hundreds of years.
They're an ethnic group believed to have settled
in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in western Ukraine
in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The region has defended itself
against the Mongol and Tatar invasions in the 13th century,
and then from Poland, the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
and Imperial Russia in the 18th century.
And now, as Ukraine lives through an invasion
from Putin's Russia,
they're resolved to defend their home as strongly as ever.
Narrator: So far, this part of western Ukraine has not seen fighting,
and staying in their village is necessary
for patriotic and practical reasons.
They need the machines, the natural resources,
and the community to keep their business going.
There are 20 families that still work
in weaving in this Hutsul village of 2,000 people.
Narrator: Natalya carries her blankets over this narrow bridge
to a nearby valylo,
a river-powered wooden device that spins
with the flow of the water.
It acts as a natural washing machine.
A flood in 2008 destroyed three out of the five machines
that were used.
Today, there are only two left in their village.
Cleaning the woven blankets is physically demanding,
but it's essential
to get rid of any lingering sheep smell.
Depending on the water temperature and the type of wool,
the blanket is left in the water for six to 10 hours.
Time is sensitive.
If the blanket stays for too long,
it can shrink and lose its shape and look.
Narrator: Washing the wool shrinks it down by 30 to 40 centimeters,
something they take into account
when planning the shape of the blanket.
It also makes it thicker and tighter,
so it can last for years.
Narrator: When the washing is done,
the blankets are put in this spinning machine
to get rid of the water.
They then hang them outside to dry for a few days.
Narrator: Yaroslav combs the blankets to make them feel softer,
a practice that was not very common in the past
and only started in the early '70s.
Narrator: The blankets were traditionally given as a wedding present
and were even used as currency to barter
for materials and animals.
Today, they're in demand as works of art,
and the craft continues to evolve.
Narrator: Their blankets sell for anywhere from $150 to $450.
Special orders can cost more.
It all depends on the colors used
and the level of detail.
Few among the younger generation
are drawn to this labor-intensive craft,
leaving the Hutsul community
with only a handful of craftspeople.
But Natalya and Yaroslav are passing it on
to their children.