Wooden hut "House"

Filled with sacred meaning and heartfelt hopes, Christmas symbolizes purity and spirituality brought by the birth of Jesus Christ. Numerous canonical and apocryphal texts about the coming of the Son of God have survived through the centuries. Reflecting on them, people for two millennia have expressed their reverence for Jesus — in prayer, in song, and in ritual performances. Among these traditions is the creation of the crèche, a sculptural composition of the Nativity.

Depending on the country, this tradition bears different names. In Ukrainian, the word shopka, like the tradition itself, came from Poland. Originally, it was displayed in churches from Christmas to the Feast of the Presentation, but over time, miniature depictions of the Bethlehem stable began to appear in the homes of wealthy Ukrainian families.

Visually, a shopka resembles a small theatrical box or a little house illustrating the night when the Savior was born. In Ukraine, they began to be crafted widely in the 20th century from wood, clay, and paper.
Today, the largest shopka is installed in the Church of St. Peter the Apostle in Ternopil — the heart of the Koza Dereza craft workshop. The composition, 40 meters wide and 20 meters high, is listed in the Ukrainian Book of Records and includes dozens of animal figures and biblical characters.

The ancient tradition of the shopka dates back to the time when sculptural scenes in churches helped illiterate parishioners understand the biblical story of the birth of baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Later, as cities grew, Nativity displays began to be arranged outside cathedrals as well. Eventually, costumed performances emerged — with bright attire, symbolic attributes, puppetry, and songs retelling the miraculous story.

We continue to cherish this tradition — through fairy tales and legends, through carols sung to our children and grandchildren — passing on the message of love and kindness that guides our world