Paintings Of War In Separatist-Controlled Donetsk
Anna Varkhameyeva was a history student at Donetsk National University in 2014 when conflict erupted between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces. “When the war started, I felt the need to express what was happening inside and around me. So I started to paint pictures showing the war and the occupation of Donetsk,” Varkhameyeva said. In the summer of 2016, she fled the separatist-controlled region, concealing her paintings by sewing them into the bottom of her bag. Her works depict the physical and psychological effects of the ongoing conflict.
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"Two Worlds"
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"Stop! Mines!"
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"She Wanted To Live"
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"Hope For Better Luck"
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"Russian World"
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"Children Of War"
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"Hailstorm"
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"Everyday Occurence"
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"Black Sunflowers"
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"The Ukrainian Sun Rises In Donbas"
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"On The Other Side Of War"
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"Last Hope"
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"Cyborgs"
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"Ukrainian Summer." Varkhameyeva says: “In my paintings, I want to show what war and occupation are. I want to show how someone with different views, who loves Ukraine, lives under such conditions. And most importantly, I want to remind people that Donetsk is Ukraine."