From September 25 to 28, Zenyk Art Gallery will host the event "Mariupol: Lost Grandeur," dedicated to the City Day of Mariupol.
This event will combine photography, digital reconstructions, and immersive technologies to preserve the memory of unique monumental mosaics that once adorned the interiors and facades of public buildings — artworks that were destroyed as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The event will feature several formats:
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Along the gallery space, there will be displays featuring photographs of mosaics documented by journalist, local historian, and monumental art researcher Ivan Stanislavskyi;
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Nearby, screens will showcase visualizations of these works;
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In the gallery’s immersive room, visitors will experience both the original appearance of the mosaics and their current, often devastated, state.
Mariupol — “The City of Mary” — was founded in the 18th century by Zaporizhian Cossacks on the shores of the Sea of Azov. Over time, it evolved into a major trading hub, and by the 19th century, became one of the key metallurgical centers of southern Ukraine. A true symbol of this industrial might was the Azovstal steel plant. Built during the Soviet era, it featured an extensive system of bomb shelters and tunnels, which in 2022 became a refuge for the heroic Azov defenders and civilians during the siege of the city.
Between March and April 2022, Mariupol suffered catastrophic destruction:
90% of the city’s infrastructure was obliterated, including residential buildings, hospitals, schools, and universities. The heroic defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days, 82 of which the city was completely encircled. On March 6, 2022, by Presidential Decree, Mariupol was awarded the honorary title of Hero City of Ukraine in recognition of the courage, mass heroism, and resilience of its citizens in defending the city against the armed aggression of the Russian Federation.
The city’s cultural landscape also suffered irreparable losses.
Mariupol was one of the most prominent centers of monumental art in Ukraine. Before the full-scale war, the city was home to over 26 original mosaics and dozens of smaller works. Among the artists whose pieces once decorated Mariupol were:
Victor Zaretsky, Alla Horska, Borys Plaksii, Halyna Zubchenko, Vasyl Parakhin, Nadiya Svitlychna, Viktor Arnautov, Valentyn Konstantinov, Lelya Kuzminkova, Hryhoriy Pryshedko, Yakiv Rayzin, and Mykola Tykhonov.
Most of these works have been lost. However, thanks to the photographic documentation by Ivan Stanislavskyi, we are now able to digitally reconstruct and preserve this cultural heritage.
“Mariupol: Lost Grandeur” is a tribute to the city and its people — and an effort to safeguard a crucial part of the artistic legacy that shaped the cultural identity of Mariupol.