THE SCARS OF WAR

My work, "Scars of War," is dedicated to the war in Ukraine, its metallic taste, and the traces it leaves behind. It inflicts wounds on people and cities, scorching both flesh and metal. It leaves marks that we can never erase. It shatters lives into fragments, rendering them unfit for creating anything valuable. These traces are also present in my work. Every scratch on it represents someone's suffering, a trace of a shell or a bullet. They are the scars on the bodies and souls of those who have survived this war. My work embodies danger and death. This sculpture was created almost on the front lines, where I, a sculptor from Kyiv, currently serve in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The front line is just a few kilometers away from me, and I witness firsthand how the war devastates and scars everything it touches. This work is made from deadly metal, which surrounds me abundantly today. It was crafted during breaks from my military service. The process of its creation is the only connection I have left with my previous peaceful life because on February 24, 2022, it shattered in the explosions in my city. Within just 72 hours, I underwent a transformation from a Ukrainian sculptor to a soldier in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Within those 72 hours, I became a driver-rescuer, evacuating my family from Gostomel to Western Ukraine (24 hours behind the wheel, one hour of sleep on the roadside), a displaced person, and ultimately, a volunteer. One week of training, and I was on the front lines. Hence, this work represents the scars of my life, shattered by Russia and its war.