Icons painted on ammunition boxes displayed at St Sophia's Cathedral of Kyiv

Icons painted on ammunition boxes. Photo: State Special Transport Service on Facebook

On April 20, 2026, a ceremony honoring fallen SSST warriors took place at Saint Sophia's Cathedral of Kyiv, during which the "Icons of Memory" project was presented. As reported by the Facebook page of the special service, during the event, the names of fallen defenders were inscribed on icons created on the lids of ammunition boxes.

The organizers called the action a continuation of the cathedral's ancient tradition, when since princely times the names of heroes on the temple walls became part of prayer. The artists inscribed the names directly into the images during the ceremony, transforming the artifacts of war into a kind of memorial rolls.

The event was attended by the head of SSST administration, Major General Oleksandr Yakovets. He emphasized that Ukrainian fighters are doing everything to ensure that the tragedies of Bucha, Irpin, or Izium will never happen again. The general bowed low to the families of servicemen who gave their lives in this war.

OCU "hierarch" Oleksandr Drabinko also spoke at the presentation. He quoted the words of the prophet Isaiah about beating swords into plowshares and noted that the project embodies the idea of transforming instruments of death into symbols of eternal memory.

The project's author, artist Oleksandr Klimenko, explained that the main idea of the icons is the transformation of death into life. According to him, this resonates with the daily work of SSST warriors, who are engaged in demining and building shelters.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a project for "deeper immersion into the experience of war" will be opened at the Lavra.

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