Egg-squisite artwork to be gifted to Ukrainian library

Article date: 6 May 2025

Funded by St Helens Borough Council's Arts in Libraries initiative, the locally inspired Pysanka egg - a traditional hand-decorated Ukrainian Easter egg - features painted depictions of iconic borough landmarks such as St Helens Town Hall, The World of Glass, The Dream sculpture, Sankey Viaduct, Friends Meeting House, Saints stadium and Pilkington Glass.

Made from modroc and acrylic paint, the Pysanka egg is the creation of local artist, Kelza Pilkington, who was commissioned to carry out the project on behalf of the library service to gift to its twinned partner, The Public Library of Zhytomyr, after producing an impressive mural of St Helens landmarks for a town centre business.

Commenting on the project, which took 82 hours to complete, Kelza said: "Pysanka eggs are such a delicate and time-intensive folk art - a real testament to the perseverance of the Ukrainian spirit, so it feels quite emotional to be asked to do this. 

"I have been told about some of the live streamed events where children from St Helens and Ukraine have been coming up to each other on camera and giving each other hand-heart signals, so it's a nice thing to be part of.

"Obviously the conflict has been all over the news for a few years now and it's been heartbreaking watching tragedy unfold over there. So, it's nice to think that a piece of my artwork - a piece of St Helens - is going over there to spread some joy."

Commenting after meeting Kelza and seeing the Pysanka egg at Newton-le-Willows Library, Councillor Kate Groucutt, Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Leisure, said: "This beautiful piece of art is more than a gift - it is a symbol of connection, creativity and shared values.

"I'm incredibly proud of our library team and Kelza for bringing this international friendship to life and long may it continue."

The artwork was presented to staff at the Children's Library in Zhytomyr during a virtual meeting in April, with the egg now in the process of being posted out to Ukraine to be put on display in the library. 

St Helens Library Service has been partnered with The Public Library of Zhytomyr since 2024 through the Libraries Connected UK-Ukraine twinning programme which aims to promote cultural exchange, share best practices and connect communities through joint initiatives, literature, and the arts.