Ukraine showcases icons painted on crate lids from Czech artillery shells

An exhibition of icons painted on lids from artillery shell crates. Prague, Czechia. Photo: Ukrinform

An exhibition of icons painted on the lids of artillery shell crates has opened in the Senate of the Czech Republic in Prague. The project is dedicated to children taken from Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. The exhibition is timed to the fourth anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

The exhibition was placed in one of the halls of the upper chamber of parliament. The authors of the project are a group of artists from Ukraine who have been creating icons on military artifacts since early 2022. They say the aim of the initiative is to remind the world of the fates of children taken from occupied territories.

Among the works on display are traditional tempera images of the Mother of God, Christ, and saints. Each icon was accompanied by information about the child in whose memory it was created. “We want to speak about the fates of these children through the language of art – a language different nations can understand,” the organizers said.

The exhibition was opened by representatives of the Senate and the Embassy of Ukraine. The organizers expressed hope that such artistic initiatives would help draw the attention of international institutions to humanitarian issues. Some Czech public figures emphasized the symbolism of combining religious images with the materials of war.

As the UOJ previously reported, an exhibition about “church Rashism” is touring Ukraine.

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