Mercy in icons and stone paving

The works were created during the international icon painting open air session “Mercy in icon,” which was held at St. Michael’s Monastery during the last week of November. The authors include more than 10 artists from Ukraine, Poland, France, Slovakia, and Lithuania. Ukrainians and Poles have been holding joint open-air sessions of icon-painting in Poland and in Volyn, but it was the first time that such an event took place in Kyiv. Importantly, it was held in the monastery which gave shelter to Maidan activists and now is helping the ATO participants.

The vernissage shows many images of saints who are patrons of the diseased. The commissar of the open-air session, People’s Artist of Ukraine Roman Vasylyk says, “There are saints who lived in the 3rd century and who are almost our contemporaries. For example, monk Amphilochius who has been canonized quite recently. This person cured soldiers of two world wars, helped UPA warriors, was repressed and tortured, but lived till very old age.”

Except for the traditional icons, the exposition shows works of sacral art. For example, the picture of the Heavenly Sotnia’s Hero Mikhail Zhyznevski or Christ painted on stone paving of Maidan by the participant of Polish Solidarity Michal Ploski. The abstractions painted with gold by Krzysztof Sokolowski are hypnotizing. “The author calls this an icon in symbols. On the whole, today’s icon is canonic in terms of content and modern in terms of shape,” Roman Vasylyk commented on Sokolowski’s works.

Artists from the east of Ukraine Vasyl Skrykuliak and Valentyn Novikov created a joint work Crucifixion with Attendants. Near crucified Christ there are two empty crosses. The materials are simple: wood, plaster, and some metal. Artist Vasyl Skrykuliak says, “On every millimeter of the work we were looking for a compromise. The idea was changed in the process. The crosses of the attendants are empty, they symbolize the pureness of life, and Christ went till the end.” In his life Vasyl paints churches, works with sculpture, mosaics, and stained glass windows. The sacral composition is an interesting experiment in the creative work of the artist. Vasyl Skrykuliak underlines that no special preparation is needed for such work – it is enough to live with a prayer in your soul.

Some images were not painted during the open-air session. The exposition starts with the images of angels depicted in a black background. This series of works was created by students of the Lviv National Academy of Art during the clashes in Maidan. Every angel has an author, but the names of the students are not mentioned, as if they were created by only one person.

The exhibit of the icons was blessed by the head of Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret. “At the moment we are facing the temptation to start the Third World War. Our task is to do our best to prevent this. For this we must show our moral strength. The exhibit of the icons indicates that we, Europeans, are united. This is the material proof of our spirit,” noted Patriarch Filaret.

In winter the works from the open-air session “Mercy in icon” will be exhibited in Poland, and later they will be presented to the hospitals where Maidan activists and ATO participants undergo treatment. The icons of foreign authors will be given to Ukrainian hospitals which received assistance from Poles. The works of Ukrainian artists will be sent to Polish hospitals. Besides, postcards with the icons from the exhibit will be printed and sold, and the money from sale will be given to the wounded and families of those who were killed in the east of Ukraine.