Heritage Month Day 19

Saturday, September 19

By Eun, Guest Writer

Postcard Challenge – Tryzub

Hello from New York, fellow avid postcard writers! Eun here to share a little bit about what I call “tryzubbombing” and to encourage you to try drawing a tryzub today!

The тризуб (tryzub) translates to “trident” and is Ukraine’s famed coat of arms – probably one of the most recognizable symbols of Ukraine beyond their classic blue and yellow flag.

I link to this fabulous article by the Kyiv Independent on the history of the tryzub if you’d like to know more.

Fun fact: this Ukrainian symbol is over 1,000 years old!

I was traveling in New Zealand in April of 2025 when I noticed an interesting art activity at the Auckland Art Gallery inviting visitors to try their hand at raranga, (traditional Māori weaving). I had recently seen this very lovely artwork post back home in NYC on social media and decided to try my hand at weaving something Ukraine-themed.

I settled on a tryzub as inspiration. Using a google photo reference, here’s my best try which I proudly propped up amongst the other artworks.

My friend asked me why I chose this and I said, “well, why not?” If even one Ukrainian person sees it, I hope it reminds them they are not alone and that someone is thinking of them.
Seeing the weaving reminded me of some photos I saw long ago of “yarnbombing”, a sort of delightfully whimsical form of guerrilla graffiti (you’ll have to see the photos to believe it in the link here, but my favorite has to be that yarn bombed Bundeswehr tank in Dresden Germany. Since then if I have seen any art exhibits inviting visitor participation, I have defaulted to the tryzub as the art of choice for my contribution.

I admit that I’m still getting the hang of the shape and always whip out my smartphone to use as a reference picture, but as Vincent Van Gogh once said, “I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people”, and for me, this is a very small way for me to show my love for Ukraine. I hope any Ukrainian who sees one of my tryzubs knows that they are remembered and loved. Below are a selection of some of my scrawlings around the globe:

Here’s a video of a quick drawing I did of a tryzub at San Diego Comic Con, California (July 2026). I’ve also drawn the tryzub at EPCOT, Disneyworld, Florida (November 2025).

I’d also like to highlight the importance and power of this millenary symbol even now, in the context of Ukraine’s fight against Russia. I saw this post online last July of an entire Ukrainian family, the Ryzhkovs, in Russian-occupied Novoaydar being convicted of helping the Ukrainian army. In the courtroom, Oleksandr Ryzhkov defiantly flashed the trident symbol by placing three fingers over his heart directly into the camera.

Source: https://x.com/CynlandNS/status/1944080442527035590

Mr. Ryzhkov’s tryzub is one of the most moving and powerful examples of one I have seen.

Natalia Yermak writes in the aforementioned Kyiv Independent article that “In recent years, amid Russia’s ongoing war, one interpretation [of the tryzub] has especially resonated: that the shape of the tryzub contains the letters of the Ukrainian word “ВОЛЯ” as it is written with the Ukrainian Cyrillic alphabet (“volia” in English transliteration), meaning both “will” and “freedom.”

If art is what we make of it, I am happy to participate in keeping this symbol alive in a small way today in scribbles and comic cons around the world.

For an easy and excellent step-by-step tutorial on drawing a tryzub, please check out Ukrainian artist Myroslava Coates’ short video for tips! They’re outlined here:

Give it a try on your postcard to a Defender of Ukraine! Please share your tryzubs via email or social media at @PostcardstotheFront Canada, etc!”

Editor’s note: Eun has also created her own postcards, painting the tryzub and Ukraine’s flag on blank cards.

Tomorrow … pumpkins.

Each day through Ukrainian Heritage Month, we share an easy-to-do creative idea that you can try on your postcards to Defenders. 30 days. 30 cards. Simple art.

Our Ultimate Heritage Challenge to you, dear postcard warriors: one postcard per day during September. Try some of the postcard art ideas we offer through the month. Prizes will be drawn for three winners who have tried at least three different ideas that we’ve shared through the month of September. We’ll know because your cards will ‘show’ us.

Deadline: we must receive your Ukrainian Heritage Month challenge postcards in our mailbox by October 20.

Share your creative ideas with us, and any other ways in which you acknowledge Ukrainian Heritage Month.

Email your ideas and images to us along with a brief explanation and we’ll share: postcardstothefront.canada@gmail.com

Tag us on Instagram, Facebook, Threads. We’d love to share your stories with others. Don’t forget to tag the creators whose ideas you use.

IG and Threads: @postcardstothefront_canada   @ukrainian.heritage.month   @myrodoodles

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