A Ukrainian decorated Easter egg made with traditional wax-resist methods is called a pysanka.
Pysanky are eggs decorated by drawing designs in beeswax and repeatedly applying dyes. The wax protects selected areas, so removing it reveals layered patterns in different colors. Traditional motifs may include stars, crosses, plants, animals and geometric forms, with meanings varying by region and family tradition.
The singular Ukrainian term is pysanka, from a verb meaning to write or inscribe. The plural is pysanky. Although these eggs are strongly associated with Easter and Christian symbolism today, decorated eggs in the region also draw on older seasonal customs.
Pysanka is sometimes confused with a general painted egg or with kulich, which is a traditional Easter bread. The wax-resist technique and Ukrainian cultural context are the defining features of a pysanka. The craft remains practiced in Ukraine and in Ukrainian communities worldwide.