International project “Mariupol Unbroken” 2.11.2024

On November 2 at 6:00 PM, a special event will take place at the Dovzhenko Center (Vasylkivska St, 1), bringing together two significant cultural moments. Before the performance of “Azovstal. Voices,” which deeply explores the defense of Mariupol, guests will have the opportunity to visit the art exhibition “Mariupol Unbroken.”

This project, launched in June last year, is the first to present the culture of Mariupol. Over the past year, the artworks have been exhibited across Europe. Today, the exhibition features the works of 38 artists from across Ukraine, showcasing over 50 pieces. The paintings, created in various styles, are united by their support for Mariupol—dedicated either to the city itself or to the concept of unbreakable spirit as a phenomenon.

The exhibition presents paintings symbolizing and documenting the moral strength, defiance, and love for the homeland that cannot be broken by the horrors of war. The styles range from realism and academicism to cubism and postmodernism.

Through visual art, the artists invite viewers to reflect deeply on our present tragic reality. However, it is through this tragedy that we must find our way to the joy of victory. When the global community, alongside Ukrainians, celebrates that day, these works will hold their rightful place in the history of our struggle—a place that will physically be reflected in museums and galleries, but most importantly, in our hearts.

The main goal of the “Mariupol Unbroken” exhibition is to show the world, through art, the unbreakable spirit of Mariupol and to support the city’s lost artistic heritage. Artists from Mariupol’s branch of the National Union of Artists, as well as from across Ukraine and abroad, have united in a shared desire to help revive the city after de-occupation, restoring its beauty and faith in resilience.

The initiator and curator of the project is Valeriy Yurychkovskyi.