Chronology of the Russian-Ukrainian war through the eyes of Ukrainian artists

Stanislava Ovchinnikova is an interdisciplinary artist from Kyiv, Ukraine, now based in Berlin. In her work, bordering with activism, she deals with topics such as death, loss, violence and desensitization. At the moment Stanislava is working on a graphic novel about the Russian war in Ukraine.

Lesia is an artist from Odesa, Ukraine. She started drawing 8 years ago after a bad leg injury put her previous career on hold. After leaving Odesa in April 2022, Lesia continues to paint and visualize Ukraine and the invasion. “Drawing for me is a hobby, a job, and a way to reflect. Every time another terrible event happens, I think to myself — again? How can this get any worse? And then I sit down and draw and cry... This is my way of surviving this grief because no one can be aloof. I believe in our Armed Forces, and our victory!”

Irina Kostyshina is an artist & graphic designer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She works mainly in editorial illustration and also as a comic artist, combining digital and traditional media in her works. Since the full-scale Russian invasion, Irina has focused on creating war-related illustrations and educational work on her Instagram feed to tell the truth about Ukraine.

Lesia is an artist from Odesa, Ukraine. She started drawing 8 years ago after a bad leg injury put her previous career on hold. After leaving Odesa in April 2022, Lesia continues to paint and visualize Ukraine and the invasion. “Drawing for me is a hobby, a job, and a way to reflect. Every time another terrible event happens, I think to myself — again? How can this get any worse? And then I sit down and draw and cry... This is my way of surviving this grief because no one can be aloof. I believe in our Armed Forces, and our victory!”

Ukraine, Kharkiv

Arina Panasovska is an artist and illustrator from the occupied city of Kherson, Ukraine. She believes that art is a weapon, and art is the one thing that helped her not to break in wartime. Before the war Arina worked with children’s publishing houses. Today she is planning to transition to commercial illustration and build a new life.

Eugenia Goncharenko is an artist from Vinnytsia, Ukraine, who paints with traditional materials such as watercolor, ink and pencils. She draws charming illustrations and writes warm fairy tales and wants to do it professionally in the future.

Lesia is an artist from Odesa, Ukraine. She started drawing 8 years ago after a bad leg injury put her previous career on hold. After leaving Odesa in April 2022, Lesia continues to paint and visualize Ukraine and the invasion. “Drawing for me is a hobby, a job, and a way to reflect. Every time another terrible event happens, I think to myself — again? How can this get any worse? And then I sit down and draw and cry... This is my way of surviving this grief because no one can be aloof. I believe in our Armed Forces, and our victory!”

Irina Kostyshina is an artist & graphic designer from Kyiv, Ukraine. She works mainly in editorial illustration and also as a comic artist, combining digital and traditional media in her works. Since the full-scale Russian invasion, Irina has focused on creating war-related illustrations and educational work on her Instagram feed to tell the truth about Ukraine.

Olha Kriuchkovska is from Kherson, Ukraine and works under the pseudonym Olson Olberburg. She studied at the Kherson National Technical University with a degree in graphic design, and a subsequent master's degree. In 2018/19 she worked as a teacher at a private children's art school, until finally launching her own studio in 2019. Olha is engaged in illustration but also loves painting and weaving tapestries. She is currently based in Sweden and is working on a project on the theme of war and nature.

Natalie Kozeko is a Ukrainian illustrator from Kyiv. She is working on the production of a multi-part children's animated series about bunnies, which is streamed in more than 60 countries around the world. In her spare time, she does fencing. She and her husband have three cats which they adopted from an animal shelter.

Eugenia Goncharenko is an artist from Vinnytsia, Ukraine, who paints with traditional materials such as watercolor, ink and pencils. She draws charming illustrations and writes warm fairy tales and wants to do it professionally in the future.

Eugenia Goncharenko is an artist from Vinnytsia, Ukraine, who paints with traditional materials such as watercolor, ink and pencils. She draws charming illustrations and writes warm fairy tales and wants to do it professionally in the future.

Eugenia Goncharenko is an artist from Vinnytsia, Ukraine, who paints with traditional materials such as watercolor, ink and pencils. She draws charming illustrations and writes warm fairy tales and wants to do it professionally in the future.

Daria Lutsyshyna is an artist born in Dnipro, living and working in Kyiv, Ukraine. Daria creates illustrations, posters, and graphic design. During the full-scale Russian invasion, she focused on illustrating war-related texts, news, her own experience of war, and reflections on its nature and consequences. She believes art is not "outside of politics" and artists and their work matter and can make a difference.

Lesia is an artist from Odesa, Ukraine. She started drawing 8 years ago after a bad leg injury put her previous career on hold. After leaving Odesa in April 2022, Lesia continues to paint and visualize Ukraine and the invasion. “Drawing for me is a hobby, a job, and a way to reflect. Every time another terrible event happens, I think to myself — again? How can this get any worse? And then I sit down and draw and cry... This is my way of surviving this grief because no one can be aloof. I believe in our Armed Forces, and our victory!”

Ukraine

Eugenia Goncharenko is an artist from Vinnytsia, Ukraine, who paints with traditional materials such as watercolor, ink and pencils. She draws charming illustrations and writes warm fairy tales and wants to do it professionally in the future.

Lesia is an artist from Odesa, Ukraine. She started drawing 8 years ago after a bad leg injury put her previous career on hold. After leaving Odesa in April 2022, Lesia continues to paint and visualize Ukraine and the invasion. “Drawing for me is a hobby, a job, and a way to reflect. Every time another terrible event happens, I think to myself — again? How can this get any worse? And then I sit down and draw and cry... This is my way of surviving this grief because no one can be aloof. I believe in our Armed Forces, and our victory!”