Anna Maslik's New Font "Tsybulka"
Petrykivka painting, a widely recognized Ukrainian folk art tradition, now lives on in a digital typeface. Graphic designer Anna Maslik has created "Tsybulka" (literally "little onion"), drawing directly from the ornament's signature ingredients: leaves, kalyna berries, a curly flower, and the onion-shaped element that eventually gave the font its name. The project was unveiled on social media, including Instagram, and officially went live on the final day of summer — August 31, 2026.
Anyone interested in using the font is invited to make a charitable contribution of 500 Ukrainian hryvnias through a payment jar linked in Maslik’s profile. Every donation goes to active fundraising campaigns in support of Ukraine’s military. After the payment is completed, the download link appears automatically. The font is distributed under an open license, so it can be used freely in both commercial and personal projects.
"With this font, I finally got to play with ligatures and made a few plant-based glyphs. My starting point was Petrykivka painting — its leaves, kalyna, curly flower, and tsybulka. That last one ended up naming the whole font."
Anna Maslik
She added: "So here’s the plan: I give you the font, and you donate 500 hryvnias to the bank in my profile. All the money goes to urgent needs. The link will appear automatically."
Other Ukrainian Type Projects Worth Knowing
The article also highlights several other Ukrainian typography-related efforts:
- "Shriftoriz," a browser extension that spots Russian fonts on websites and suggests Ukrainian alternatives;
- The official adoption of the Ukrainian orthography as the only state language standard, effective March 1, 2026;
- UAF Memory, Ukraine’s first memorial typeface, created for inscriptions on monuments and graves of fallen defenders.
"May you enjoy using it, and may it bring you joy rather than tears."
Anna Maslik
The launch of Tsybulka is far more than a design release — it ties ancient Ukrainian ornament to modern visual culture while directly helping the war effort. With its open license, the font can be adopted by everyone from designers to businesses, helping spread appreciation for Ukraine’s creative heritage. In times of war, that makes the project both an artistic milestone and a meaningful gesture of civic responsibility.