In Philadelphia, a large-scale art panel “Song of Songs of the Ukrainian People” was unveiled in the courtyard of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception – a 30-meter-long collective painting created during March by Ukrainian artists, wounded soldiers, children of the Ukrainian school, community representatives and guests of the cathedral. The project combined the memory of the war, the pain of loss, hope, faith and the desire for healing.
This was reported by Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.
As reported, the authors of the canvas were Ukrainian artists Tetyana Myalkovska, Tetyana Rusetska and Iryna Semenenko. The creation of the painting was also attended by wounded Ukrainian soldiers undergoing prosthetics and treatment in the United States, students of the Ukrainian School in Philadelphia, parishioners, guests of the cathedral, as well as representatives of the Ukrainian community. During the opening, everyone could leave their own visual mark on the panel.
“This project was created by three artists from Ukraine. Through it, people share their war experience – their wounds, pain, traumas – asking for healing, hope, the victory of life over death, good over evil,” says Metropolitan Borys Gudziak.
It was also noted that during the grand opening, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, artist Tetyana Myalkovska, and among the guests of honor was the Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Khrystyna Gayovyshyn. Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Philadelphia Iryna Mazur emphasized that the painting became an important testimony of modern Ukraine, which suffers but continues to stand strong.
“It is through art that we can understand what is happening in human life. This project conveys both devastation and despair, but also great hope and resilience of the Ukrainian people,” Metropolitan Borys Gudziak emphasized in his speech.
According to Tetyana Myalkovska, the painting was called “Song of Songs of the Ukrainian People” because it combines the sounds of war, pain, loss, and at the same time memory, which is passed down from generation to generation. She explained that the painting tells not only about the Christian year, but also about the present time – the trouble, grief, and cry of Ukraine for help. The image of her son, the fallen defender Mykola Myalkivsky, whom the artist depicted next to the crucified Christ as a symbol of all those who died for freedom and human dignity, adds a personal dimension to the work.
It is also noted that the theme of children occupies an important place in the composition - as an image of Ukrainian children who were kidnapped, forced to leave their homes or became internally displaced due to the war. The wounded Ukrainian soldier Vladislav also participated in the project, to whom the audience expressed gratitude as a symbol of the sacrifice of Ukrainian defenders.
The event also had a charitable dimension. During the opening, the artist raised funds for an art therapy project for internally displaced children in Ukraine, as well as for the “Healing the Wounds of War in Ukraine” fund, created by Ukrainian Catholic bishops in the United States to support war victims and recovery programs.
“We lived every stroke,” emphasized Tetyana Myalkovska, talking about the emotional complexity of working on the canvas.
According to the artists, the final result not only justified, but also surpassed the original idea. What was initially planned as a 20-meter work later grew to a 30-meter composition, which included new themes, human voices and signs. The artists emphasized that the project was formed not only by their vision, but also thanks to everyone who touched the canvas during the work – children, military personnel and community representatives.
At the end, the artists noted that they perceive this panel not only as a completed work, but as a memorial of memory, a witness to the historical reality of the war and a way to talk about Ukraine through an image. They expressed the hope that the canvas will be able to travel, be presented in public spaces and educational institutions, and later return to Ukraine.
“When it's drawn and you see it, you remember it,” Iryna Semenenko summarized.
Photo: ukrcatholic
Author: Inna Mikhno