Toniuk

Toniuk [Tonjuk]. A family of master wood carvers of the Hutsul region. Yakiv (b 1903 in Richka, Kosiv county, Galicia, d 1958 in Richka) carved household articles, caskets, trays, powder boxes, and drinking vessels, which he decorated with flat carved ornaments and inlays. His products were exhibited outside Galicia, and some have been preserved in Ukrainian museums. His son, Vasyl (b 7 August 1928 in Richka), learned his craft from Yakiv. Both Yakiv and Vasyl taught their relative, Dmytro (b 29 July 1924 in Richka, d 17 January 1977 in Kosiv), who combined geometric Hutsul ornamentation with thematic pictures. His works can be found in museums in Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Kolomyia.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]