Ukraine war: From Cork to Kyiv - 10 artworks inspired by the conflict
Art of the Ukraine war
In September, it was reported that a Russian missile destroyed a house, killing four members of the Patlan family – mother Natasha, children Vasylisa and Ivan, and their grandmother Alla. The father Vyacheslav was away with the army. In the aftermath of the strike, an image went viral on social media showing the family’s dog Krym sitting on the rubble of the house where his owners had been killed. An artist – credited as Anton Xozyaykin by some social media users – was inspired by the picture of created the heartbreaking picture of Krym surrounded by the spirit outline of his owners.
A girl holds her dog as she poses in front of a mural by artist Vitaly Gidevan, depicting Ukrainian dog Patron. The jack russell terrier became famous during the war for his efforts in finding mines and other unexploded ordnance left by the Russians. Regularly pictured with its personalised protection vest, Patron has been credited with locating hundreds of dangerous devices.
The dog has also been used as a social media personality by Ukraine to put their message across, and has almost 400,000 followers on Instagram. In May, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau presented Patron and his handler Iliev with a medal for bravery. Other honours include the ‘Palm Dog’ from the Cannes Film Festival, and its appointment as a Goodwill Ambassadog by the UN.
Killarney is one of the centres hosting some of the thousands of Ukrainian refugees who’ve come to Ireland, and earlier this year a giant sunflower was installed as a welcoming gesture on the steeple of St Mary’s Church of Ireland in the Kerry town. The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine, a major producer of sunflower oil.
Early in the war, a Ukrainian woman was filmed confronting Russian soldiers, offering them sunflower seeds. “You’re occupants, you’re fascists!” she says. “What the fuck are you doing on our land with all these guns? Take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down here.”
The 15ft Killarney flower was an initiative of the town’s St Patrick’s Festival committee, and was created by Kilgarvan-based artists Sophie Lodge and Maitiu Gray.
The FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank weapons has been one of the key weapons used by Ukraine to push the Russians back from Kyiv and other areas.
The Madonna-like figure holding one of the launchers on this mural in the capital city is part of a ‘Saint Javelin’ branding campaign that raises money for Ukrainian charities.
