I am the author of the Goodacity blog, a journalist, and a translator. For 16 years, I have worked in professional journalism, contributing to regional and national publications, both in print and online media. I have written reports, conducted interviews, reviews, articles on cultural, social, and charitable topics, as well as materials in the style of "solution journalism" and communication materials.
My focus is on creating interesting and exclusive content. Journalism, to me, is primarily about human stories, to which I always find the key, empathize with the people I write about, and love all my heroes. Journalism, to me, means telling people about what truly matters to them, informing and inspiring them. It is not just a job, but a way of life, just like for all those who dream, create, and are inspired by it.
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I am a manager of cultural affairs and a project manager with over 14 years of experience at United Thinkers. I have participated in the organization of numerous successful social and charitable projects and have implemented informational campaigns and communication cases.
As a marketing manager, I have been involved in organizing marketing and sociological research, working with media and partners, developing advertising and marketing strategies, as well as planning and implementing advertising campaigns.
I believe in the power of goodness and I am happy that as part of the Goodacity project, I can contribute to its expansion. I believe in the power of words and in the fact that communication can help make the world a better place. I know how, where and when to speak in order to be heard. And when you are heard, you can change the world!
Craftswoman of the Christmas Star, Tetiana Fedosenko, on Reviving Tradition!
Her stars are born of love. Of faith. Of hope. And of an immense desire to restore what is hers — to bring back a tradition that was once nearly erased, destroyed, wiped from collective memory.
Craftswoman Tetiana Fedosenko creates a miracle. Her miracle is called the Christmas Star, a traditional attribute of the Christmas ritual in Ukraine. She doesn’t merely craft it — she revives memory. In each star lies a piece of her heart.
The Christmas Star is not just a decoration. It is a message. From the past — into the future. Through the darkness of the present.
Tetiana understands: tradition is not a museum exhibit, nor is it an archival document. It is a living organism, breathing, changing, but never losing its essence.
She remembers the stories of her elders about how families once gathered. Grandparents, parents, and children — all together at the table, creating a Christmas star. It was more than just crafting. It was a unification of generations, a transmission of the family’s code.
The Soviet regime tried to sever this connection. To ban Christmas, mock traditions, force people to forget. Yet tradition proved stronger than any prohibition. It pulsed in hearts, was passed on in whispers, preserved in family memory.
Tetiana knows the value of this memory. Her Lemko grandmother, who survived deportation, taught her the most important lesson: a tradition cannot be destroyed as long as there are people who remember it. As long as there are hands to create. As long as there are hearts that love.
Illuminated by the Light of the Christmas Star
“The art of star-making (crafting and decorating Christmas stars) – once executed, torn apart, and forbidden – suffered greatly under the Soviet regime,” says Mrs. Tetiana. “I always emphasize: language is the soul of a nation, and traditions are its backbone. The occupiers tried to break this backbone to destroy us – but they failed. They wanted to annihilate us, yet we endured – partly thanks to our traditions as well. The Soviets banned Christmas, arrested carolers and nativity performers – but people still gathered, sang carols together, and made Christmas stars! Occupiers may take our land, but they cannot take our soul. And the Christmas star – it’s not just a beautiful accessory or a decorative element – it’s something much deeper; it’s tradition, it’s the soul… And today, Ukrainians are rediscovering the art of star-making – the wonderful and vibrant craft of our ancestors.
No nativity play (a theatrical Christmas performance) was complete without a star. Often, its creation began in the summer, and groups of carolers would compete to see whose star was the grandest, brightest, or most original. To be a “star-bearer” in the nativity play was considered a great honor.
Every year, my sister and I would set up nativity plays with our children and visit friends and neighbors to share the festive spirit. This family tradition of ours gradually expanded beyond our circle. Over fifteen years ago, my husband and I made a Christmas star in one evening and took it to our daughter’s school class to talk about Christmas traditions. When I told her classmates about the Christmas star, they listened with incredible fascination and interest. The older generation, on the other hand, wept as they remembered this childhood tradition that had been brutally cut out of their lives and forbidden. That’s when a spark lit within me – I needed to do something in this direction, to tell people about it. They found it interesting, they needed it.
I developed a workshop on how to make a Christmas star with your own hands and taught anyone willing to learn. I even came up with a slogan: “A Christmas star in every home!” I always encourage everyone – try making a Christmas star yourself, as a family, and it will inspire and bring you closer together.
At first, our family made Christmas stars just for ourselves, within our family circle. But since 2014, we’ve felt a tremendous societal wave of interest in our traditions and our history, and we realized – it was time! Time to bring the Christmas star into the spotlight,” Tetiana smiles.
Family and friends constantly encouraged me – hold workshops, tell people about the art of star-making, about the traditions and craftsmen that were destroyed. Ukraine needs this! Gradually, I gained momentum – initially, I would start making stars three months before Christmas. Then, as demand grew, I began six months in advance. Today, it’s a year-round process!”
Tradition Lives as Long as There Are Hands to Create
“When people ask me, ‘What brought you to folk art?’ I answer, ‘No one brought me — I was born into it. I grew up with it, it became a part of me, like the milk I drank as a baby.’ I painted pysanky, made motanka dolls, decorated bells, baked St. Nicholas gingerbread, and did block printing. All of this is my own, my heritage. It always felt natural and organic to me,” shares Tetiana Fedosenko.
The seed of love for folk art, sown at home, sprouted in the fertile soil of the incredible National Center of Folk Culture “Ivan Honchar Museum.
It was there that I “found myself” as a craftswoman”.
When I first saw a Christmas star created by folk artist Ivan Prykhodko, I thought, ‘Why don’t people see this, why don’t they know about it?’ It struck me like lightning — it resonated so deeply within me!
Unfortunately, we know very little about this colorful Ukrainian symbol of Christmas and its history. In the past, each region had its own unique style of star-making. Traditionally, stars were crafted in an octagonal shape from wooden boards and sieves, measuring one and a half to two meters in diameter. They were then covered with colored paper and fabrics, adorned with foil, ribbons, and tassels.
But there are some unique stars that leave you in awe! The Christmas stars from Ternopil, Hutsul regions, and the incredible Matsiiv star — a Christmas star from a village that no longer exists — with its “belly,” an odd number of rays, and the ability to “dance.”
There are also the masterpieces of Volodymyr Shagal. These are true works of art — and they’re all ours, Ukrainian! Each year, I discover more, and I continue to study and research these traditions myself.
On my creative journey, I’ve met an incredible number of star-makers, and I’m truly overjoyed by how warmly they’ve welcomed me. I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me, and I bow low to those who preserve our traditions!”
Creating Hope
Her stars are not just art. They become tools for support and change. A vivid example of this is the “The Star Rises” project, created in collaboration with the communications agency Gres Todorchuk. Tetiana and her team crafted 24 unique caroling stars, each carrying a threefold mission: creativity, support, and hope. Ten of these stars were auctioned to raise funds for an essential cause — the construction of shelters in three Ukrainian schools. But most importantly, this project provided real support for five internally displaced women in Mukachevo, Ukraine, who not only found jobs but also a sense of community and an opportunity to feel needed.
For Tetiana, this is yet another affirmation: tradition is not only about preserving the past but also about shaping the future.
“In my creative workshop, displaced women sew and paint — these are new jobs for the city and support for women who have relocated and often begin their lives anew,” she says.
“After the full-scale Russian invasion, I moved to Zakarpattia, where my mother is from, to Mukachevo,” Tetiana recounts.
“My husband, a doctor, was mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and despite all the stress, I realized that the land of my ancestors gave me new strength and inspiration to create! What I do now — crafting souvenir products with traditional symbols like scarves, keepsakes, and accessories — this is my passion. My thematic pieces are tied to central Ukrainian holidays such as Easter and Christmas. For the latter, we make Christmas stars, masks for nativity plays, and host workshops where we share the history of these items — this is all deeply personal to me, part of who I am.”
The Christmas star shines. Even in the darkness of war. Especially in the darkness of war. Because it is more than just a symbol. It is a message. To future generations. To ancestors.
“We will preserve it,” Tetiana whispers.
Every crafted piece. Every tradition. Every memory.
The war has taken much. But it has not taken the most important things — the spirit, the hope, and the love for the land.
And the star shines: brightly, unceasingly. Light triumphs over darkness.
