Embroidery is a fundamental element of Ukrainian folk dress. Its origins date back to the 5th century BCE. The vyshyvanka , the name commonly used for the emblematic embroidered Ukrainian shirt, can be distinguished through the embroidery specificities and motifs of the different regions. The vyshyvanka not only showcases the Ukrainian identity, but also the regional identity of its place of origin. Every region has their own techniques, colours and patterns. Traditionally, the dye to colour the thread was made with local recipes, which could include tree bark, leaves, flowers or wild berries. And so, each region's biogeographical characteristics were reflected through the embroidery's thread. The predominant, and fundamental, colours of Ukrainian embroidery are red, black and white. Red signifies love and the Sun's energy. Black signifies the fertile Ukrainian soil, on which the farmers' crops and welfare depended. White symbolises light and spirituality. The complementary colours are: blue, a symbol of both water and the cold (it is often red's counterpart); yellow, a symbol of both freedom and happiness; green, a symbol of life, youth and strength (it is the 3rd most popular, after red and black). It was believed that an embroidered shirt could protect people against the evil eye. The habit of presenting newborns with these embroideries persists to this day. They were not only used as a talisman, but they were also a form of storytelling. Embroidery was also a way to calculate the personal wealth of any Ukrainian. If one had only 30 embroidered shirts, they were poor; if their embroidered shirts counted in the 50s or 60s, they were relatively wealthy; only those with approximately 100 embroidered shirts could truly be considered wealthy. To be able to master embroidery is also a very valued skill. It was traditionally the model wife's art, as she would spend the cold winters embroidering the family's clothes, which was to be debuted on Three Kings' Day. Throughout the centuries, the vyshyvanka established itself as an essential element of local culture, as part of Ukraine's identity, and as the nation's genetic code itself. Vyshyvanka Day, a holiday implemented in 2006, was an important factor in its popularization, as well as the acknowledgement of the Ukrainian people's sovereignty, unity and unified cultural identity. Angra do Heroísmo Museum would like to thank Carlota Monjardino, Mikayl Roussal, Orest Grytsuk and Yaroslava Roussal for the pieces here exhibited. Trajes tradicionais da a cor da identidade Traditional Ukrainian Costumes The color of the identity