Anna Mats'ko, a native of Donetsk, is the head of the Novogrodivka Basic Club Establishment and has been making motanka dolls for about 20 years. During this time, she has created over a thousand traditional toys.
In her position, Anna brought joy to people by organizing concerts and cultural events that united the community. An active member of the folk vocal and instrumental ensembles "Smerichka" and "Marivski Dyvachata," she brought culture to everyone's hearts, helping the younger generation connect with the true origins of Ukrainian identity.
When active hostilities began, Hanna moved with her family to Bukovina, to the village of Mamayivtsi near Chernivtsi, taking with her the most valuable things — her dolls and some of the works of other Donetsk masters — to protect them from destruction.
The land of Bukovina welcomed them with warmth and sincere hospitality. This helped the artist regain her composure and return to her creative work. For her, doll making is not just a hobby, but a way of life, an opportunity to communicate with the world through the language of art.
Hanna Matsko has become an active participant in local cultural life in Bukovina. She teaches children and adults how to make motanki dolls. She conducts doll-making classes at a shelter for displaced persons in the Mamayivska community, at the YMariupol support center in Chernivtsi, and during the open-air art museum.
Today, Hanna Matsko does not miss a single cultural event in Chernivtsi. She has joined local craftswomen and art spaces, and her works are exhibited at the art museum as part of the exhibition "Embroidered Wonder."
In addition to her creative work, Hanna Mats'ko devotes herself to volunteering: she weaves nets for the front lines and makes trench candles. For over a year now, Hanna has been an integral part of the large family of the Pokrova volunteer movement. She demonstrates how art can be combined with concrete help for those who defend our country. What began as a sincere call from the heart has now turned into a powerful and well-coordinated mechanism for helping the front lines.
Hanna Matsko is a tireless guardian of Ukrainian culture who uses her hands to create not only motanka dolls, but also a new life filled with hope, resilience, and beauty. She is a shining example of how willpower and talent can overcome any challenge.
The Ukrainian people are hardworking and indomitable!
Together to victory!