Vegreville Pysanka Attracts Shutterbugs

Michelle Pinon News Advertiser

The Vegreville Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter Egg) is not only a popular tourist attraction, it draws many photographers to capture its beauty. Recently, Vegreville News Advertiser News Correspondent Rosanne Fortier snapped this picture at dusk.

The pysanka symbolizes the harmony, vitality, and culture of the community and is dedicated, as a tribute, to the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who brought peace and security to the largest multi-cultural settlement in all of Canada. The pysanka measures 25.7 feet long, 18 feet wide, and stands 31 feet high.

News Correspondent Rosanne Fortier recently captured this photo of Vegreville’s world-famous pysanka at dusk. (Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

Professor Resch, the computer scientist at the University of Utah, was responsible for the entire Pysanka concept which required the development of new computer programs. The Pysanka is an immense jigsaw puzzle containing 524-star patterns, 2,208 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible facets, 6,978 nuts and bolts, and 177 internal struts. The Pysanka is recognized around the world as not only a unique artistic masterpiece but also an achievement of nine mathematical, architectural and engineering firsts. The design represents the first computer modeling of an egg. Alberta Artist Paul Sembaliuk, who passed away in December of 2019, designed the world’s largest pysanka monument.

According to the Vegreville & District Chamber of Commerce, “Mr. Sembaliuk’s creative vision and passion for Ukrainian culture resulted in a vital economic driver for our region. In 2019, a survey conducted through the Town of Vegreville’s Visitor Information Centre showed that 55% of participants came specifically to see our famous Pysanka. The Town also estimates that during the peak of the 2019 tourism season, over 25,000 individuals visited the Elks/ Kinsmen Park, the home of our Pysanka.”