SYMBOLS OF UKRAINE
PHOTOSHOOT AGAINST A BACKDROP OF HEROIC RESILIENCE
by Vasiliy Likhachev | Photographs: Mariia Universaliuk
IN THE HEART OF KYIV, AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF DEFEATED RUSSIAN MILITARY EQUIPMENT, A PHOTOSHOOT OF THE "GREAT COAT OF ARMS OF UKRAINE" WAS HELD FOR THE LEGENDARY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
Mariia Universaliuk, a rising star in photojournalism, traveled from Odessa to conduct the staged photoshoot in central Kyiv, which was supervised online from Albania by American photo artist Sergey Melnikoff, also known as MFF.
The sculpture of the Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine stood amidst the ruins of Russian military equipment in the center of the Ukrainian capital. Next to the emblem stood hereditary Cossacks Viktor Balytsky (left) and Vyacheslav Padalko from the Ukrainian Association of Free Cossacks (VOVK). Photo by Mariia Universaliuk
"THE GREAT COAT OF ARMS OF UKRAINE" FROM THE ASHES OF WAR — A SYMBOL OF PEOPLE WITH IRON WILL!
On a wintry, overcast day at Saint Michael’s Square, a sculpture in the form of the Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine was installed, created by Sergey Melnikoff from fragments of artillery mines and shells. Beside the sculpture stood two Cossack generals: retired Ukrainian military men Viktor Balytsky and Vyacheslav Padalko, valiant fighters against the Chornobyl nuclear disaster.
Vyacheslav Padalko examines the details of the Great Coat of Arms installation. Photo by Mariia Universaliuk
Mariia Universaliuk‘s photoshoot at Mykhailivska Square in Kyiv commissioned by the International Charitable Foundation “Soul of Ukraine”. Photo by Valentin Dovgun
Survivors of the horrific Chornobyl nuclear accident, liquidators Balitsky and Padalko, who has reached the age of 80, proudly looked into the camera held by the delicate woman, seemingly unfazed by the sharp frost gripping the Ukrainian capital that day.
The photoshoot extended over time. Sergey Melnikoff, observing Maria’s work through a phone, provided advice on scene composition. Capturing the emblem sculpture, assembled from rust-covered fragments, against a similarly colored Russian tank proved challenging. The fact that the shoot was for an article in the legendary National Geographic magazine only heightened this difficulty.
Volunteers of the Soul of Ukraine, an International Charitable Foundation. From left to right: Pavel Ushkevich, Valeriy Grebenyuk, Valentin Dovgun, and Dmitry Kononikhyn. Photo by Mariia Universaliuk
21st-century technology allowed two photographers, thousands of kilometers apart, to frame the shot during the photoshoot. There is only one nation in the world that uses these same advances of human civilization to kill women and children globally.
The photoshoot of the Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine aimed not only to promote the recognition of Ukrainian symbols worldwide but also to popularize the artwork itself as much as possible.
A video clip by the National Information Agency of Ukraine “Ukrinform” recounts the solemn ceremony of the Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine sculpture’s consecration at the Vladimir Cathedral in Kyiv on November 1, 2023
As the ceremony at the Vladimir Cathedral proceeded and the photoshoot of the Coat of Arms at Saint Michael’s Square in Kyiv’s historic center took place, Sergey Melnikoff’s creations came to life. War-scarred fragments juxtaposed with defeated Russian military equipment created a powerful visual narrative against the backdrop of an unconquered Ukraine.
The symbolic cross on the Great Coat of Arms, made from three automatic bullets, reflects the anti-war stance of the artwork’s creator, imparting a profound philosophical dimension to the sculpture. This deep symbolism, captured by photographer Mariia Universaliuk in the heart of Kyiv, speaks of the nation’s courage and the resilience of the human spirit. The juxtaposition of artistic creativity with the grim reality of war initiated by Russian aggressors serves as a vivid reminder of the paradox of progress.
Sergey Melnikoff spent several months creating this grand art installation. Together with Viktor Belchik, a virtuoso welder from Odessa, they meticulously pieced together thousands of fragments of mines and artillery shells, assembling a unique puzzle.
The Great Coat of Arms sculpture would not have come to life without the help of Ukrainians, including those directly from the combat zones. In Odessa, an excellent organizer, Fedir Kuskovalsky, found support. Fedir asked his farmer friends Anton Kudin and Ivan Nakonechny to collect fragments of Russian MLRS from their fields. The Ukrainian land, where the invaders had passed, turned into a mix of Russian iron and Ukrainian black soil. The farmers sent hundreds of kilograms of cast-iron fragments to the Odessa workshop.
The author’s certificate of authenticity for the artwork by Sergey Melnikoff, a.k.a. MFF. These exclusive certificates, laser-engraved on metal, are produced for the artist by Ukrainian entrepreneur Ostap Tsitsak.
Viktor Belchik cuts the technological skeleton of the metal sculpture of the Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine with a gas torch.