An incredible art exhibition titled “Ukraine Through the Ages” dedicated to Ukraine’s Independence Day took place in Kyiv. The main feature of this event was the presentation of seven paintings symbolizing different regions of Ukraine: central lands, southeastern and northeastern regions, Podillya, Tavria, Galicia and the Carpathian region.
The author of these spectacular works is the famous artist Volodymyr Kozyuk, who admitted that the idea of creating such a project had been maturing for 30 years, and to realize it, he studied art and practiced painting. Kozyuk emphasized that the huge success of this project can be attributed to his team, which included Yevheniia Bozhko, a teacher of fine arts at the Odesa State Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture, and her gifted students, Olha Tiazhelova and Valeriia Kuzmenko.
“For me, art embodies the values for which we are fighting with our enemies. This is a report to the world about the need to stand shoulder to shoulder with our country on the path to victory,” said Volodymyr Kozyuk. “That’s why the idea of the project was to show the history of Ukraine through the image of a young girl surrounded by the most important historical and artistic artifacts of the region she embodies.”
The Ukrainian lands were represented on the canvases in the form of female images dressed in national clothes and decorated with various historical symbols typical of a particular region. The canvases were 1.8 meters high and 1.2 meters wide.
When the viewer looks at the images created by the artists, his or her mind stops not only at the physical perfection of the beautiful Ukrainian women. It begins to twist into incredible patterns, looking for explanations for unrealistic compounds: fragile inner beauty and flinty strength, fragile gentleness and irresistible confidence, boundless kindness and lack of pity. Perhaps this is what our tragic and, at the same time, heroic history has made of the Ukrainian soul over the millennia. During the full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Kozyuk participated in and organized more than 50 exhibitions and events for charity in support of Ukraine, in particular in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Vatican City, Great Britain, Greece, Georgia, Italy, Germany, South Korea, Lithuania, Poland, Monaco, Slovakia, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Hungary, and others. The opening of the exhibition in Kyiv was attended by dozens of people, including public and political figures, patrons of the arts, art critics, and members of parliament.
“Dear Ukrainians and everyone who supports us. Here is a project that has become an emotional Everest for me personally.
The world has changed, and for nine years Ukraine has been fighting against a much stronger enemy, a bigger country with extremely large capabilities and resources. The full-scale invasion of racists has dramatically changed the lives of Ukrainians and the whole world. Each of us is witnessing a terrible war, and every conscious person on this planet is making a significant contribution to Ukraine’s victory. After all, it depends on this whether a civilized society will exist. The enemies are trying to destroy our education, culture and values. Ukrainians are forced to fight not only for their territorial integrity, but also for the right to life,” he said. Oleksandr SVISHCHOV, project patron, member of the Supervisory Board of the NGO “In Heart with Ukraine”.
Oleksandr Svishchov also emphasized: “Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, almost a year and a half ago, we have been living on the edge of our capabilities. We lack oxygen, which is being sucked out of us by the war. Yes, we speak to the world in the language of desperate courage and equally desperate suffering.
This is the language of extreme tension, on top of which we are stubbornly and resolutely fighting back. But this peak gives an unprecedented perspective on our past and our future. The closer we get to our victory, the more we will need a different language of communication with the world inside and the world outside. A language of art that will bring back ambiguity, freshness and endless questions and answers about who we are and what we are for. This language will become the code, the “Code of the Nation,” that will open the world to us and us to the world. This power of culture needs to be nurtured and built up right now, when it is barely breaking through the blood and sweat of war. This is our high-precision and unique weapon, which we have had for a long time, but we are only now beginning to realize its power.”
Art: an important tool and key to history
The creation of paintings with historical themes is an extremely complex and persistent process that involves the study of many aspects, including the details of the historical period. The artist must study historical materials, events, characters, and much more in detail. In addition, he needed to find a psychological approach to creating an image and embody various details that characterize this era in the painting. Without a deep understanding of all this, it is difficult to create paintings on historical themes, and creative imagination and talent cannot replace detailed analysis and research.
This project has the potential to become an important tool for raising national awareness and deepening knowledge of Ukrainian history. It also provides a platform for discussing serious issues in society. Philanthropist, public figure and president of the Association of Resorts of Ukraine, Yuriy Kotyk, shared his impressions of the art exhibition, emphasizing that art is a tool for conveying the inner feelings of Ukrainians through the prism of a painting and expressing the complex emotions that each of us is experiencing today during the war.
Yuriy Kotyk also emphasized the importance of context in art and admitted that successful art requires curation and management. Curators and exhibition managers play the role of intermediaries between the artist and his or her audience, building bridges for the perception of works. The project “Ukraine through the Ages” gave meaning to his existence as a manager and co-author of the idea aimed at recreating the history of Ukraine through the image of a young girl surrounded by historical and artistic artifacts of her region.
In the painting, Ukrainian lands are embodied through the images of women who are represented in national costumes and decorated with historical symbols specific to each region. The works are huge – up to 1.8 meters high and 1.2 meters wide.
The project was jointly organized by the National Conservation Area “St. Sophia of Kyiv”, the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Life of Ukraine, the NGO “In the Heart of Ukraine” and the NGO “Best Artist”. The project partner is the Ukrainian clothing brand Ruta.
The exhibition will be held at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and will also be presented in regional centers and holy places of Ukraine. In addition, the exhibitions will be opened in cities in Western and Eastern Europe, expanding knowledge of Ukraine’s history and cultural heritage.
