The Podillya Ceramics Route
A new cultural route, the Podillya Ceramics Route, is being developed in the Vinnytsia region. This large-scale project will bring together artisans, traditions, and tourism across Vinnytsia Oblast. The route will be developed following the model of the European Route of Ceramics and, in the future, may become part of an official Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.
The main goal of the project is to preserve and pass on the unique knowledge and skills of Podillya pottery, support local artisans and ceramic schools, and create an attractive cultural and tourism product of both regional and national significance.
The first important step has already been taken. In late April 2026, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed in Vinnytsia to support the development and promotion of the Podillya Ceramics Route. The initiative brings together the Department of City Marketing and Tourism of Vinnytsia City Council, the ME «Vinnytsia Tourism Office», and four ceramic centers from Vinnytsia, Tulchyn, Bar, and Lityn. Below, we provide more information about each of them.
1. NGO «EtnoChary ceramics of Podillya» (Vinnytsia)
Ethnochary is an inclusive art space located in the centre of Vinnytsia that is dedicated to preserving and promoting the region’s pottery heritage. This cultural and social enterprise brings together a non-governmental organisation, an exhibition hall, a café, a shop featuring ceramic works by Podillya artisans, and a pottery studio offering both group and individual workshops on creating clay tableware, decorative objects, and jewellery. The space was founded by Victoria Nikolaieva, a ceramic artist with more than 20 years of experience and a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Through her work, she develops contemporary interpretations of Podillya pottery while also reviving ancient decorative motifs and traditional forms of local ceramics. An especially important aspect of her work is teaching pottery to veterans who have lost their sight, using ceramic art as a tool for rehabilitation, self-expression, and social inclusion.
Facebook page of the NGO «EtnoChary ceramics of Podillya.
Facebook page of the EthnoChary Art Space.
2. NGO «KeramArtMisto» (Tulchyn)
The organisation was founded in 2019 by teachers of the Tulchyn Professional College of Culture. Its mission is to bring together creative professionals – including artists, craftspeople, sculptors, designers, and restorers – to implement artistic projects, support talented young people, and promote traditional folk arts, particularly the painted ceramics of Bubnivka.
Bubnivka painted pottery flourished in the mid-19th century and is renowned for its distinctive style, characterized by rich floral ornamentation set against a reddish-brown background.
Facebook page of the NGO.
Facebook page of the “KeramMisto” Creative Experimental Laboratory.
3. NGO «Bar Ceramics Folk Museum» (Bar)
Since 2018, the organisation’s team has been working to revive the tradition of Bar ceramics. During this time, they have implemented six grant-funded projects with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and other donors, created the trilingual Virtual Museum of Bar Ceramics website featuring more than 300 examples of authentic and contemporary ceramic works, and published five printed editions dedicated to the subject. The team has also conducted research expeditions to ten regions of Ukraine, where they identified and photographed more than 500 unique examples of Bar ceramics preserved in national, regional, and local museums as well as private collections.
One of the project’s most significant achievements has been the restoration of pottery production in the town of Bar after a 70-year interruption, bringing this important local craft tradition back to life.
«Virtual Museum of Bar Ceramics».
4. «Lityn Ceramics» Trademark (Lityn)
«Lityn Ceramics» was founded in 2005 by a couple, Oksana Ropotilova and Mykhailo Zobkiv. The workshop specializes in the production of majolica tableware inspired by Ukrainian artistic traditions, incorporating decorative motifs that reflect the nation’s cultural identity and worldview. Each piece is handcrafted on a potter’s wheel and decorated using engobe and underglaze painting techniques, preserving both traditional craftsmanship and artistic expression.
In addition to ceramic production, the founders design and manufacture equipment for pottery and ceramic workshops, contributing to the development of ceramic education and craft practice in Ukraine.