MORE PRAYERS FOR THE UKRAINE-THROUGH WOMEN

 

 

Catholic bishops throughout Europe have also expressed support for Ukraine and appealed to Christians to pray for peace.

“At this extremely delicate time, we ask Christians to pray for the gift of peace in Ukraine so that those responsible may be filled with, and radiate, a peace that is ‘contagious’ and that the crisis will be overcome exclusively through dialogue,” the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences said.

 “The current situation represents a great danger for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the entire European continent, which may destroy the progress made so far by many generations in building a peaceful order and unity in Europe,” their appeal, also signed by other bishops, said.

Ukraine, which has a population of 44 million people, borders Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus, and Russia.

Archbishop Borys Gudziak (the current Archeparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia)  said that modern Ukrainian art addresses the damage experienced by the Ukrainian community during Soviet times. “Decades of brutal totalitarianism disrupted many of our traditions, left many wounds, and traumatized the body and soul of our people and our Church. It is so joyful and enlightening to see those who restore the traditions, who heal wounds through beauty”.

ULYANA TOMKEVYCH was born in 1981 in Lviv, Ukraine. She graduated from Trush Lviv State College of Decorative and Fine Arts and then studied in Lviv National Academy of Arts, at the department of sacred art. Her main field is iconography. The author’s works are in the churches and private collections in Ukraine, Poland, France and the USA. She took part in more than 40 art projects and group exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad.

 She has said of her work: Even though I work in the area of sacred art, each of my paintings also partly reflects my inner self. For me to choose a subject of a new painting is to look for my personal, internal questions, doubts, emotions. Only in the process of painting I am able to find the answers. First of all, it is a possibility to communicate with God, recognize and glorify Him every day.

I try to maintain and preserve the old tradition of Ukrainian sacred art. Thus I work in the tempera technique, using egg emulsion and pigments.

Sacred art gives me a wide variety of subjects concerning deep moral and ethical questions of love, sacrifice, faith, and doubt...

I feel entirely free. But to feel free and not make mistakes, you need to know a lot. One must know what can be changed and what cannot."

(Both icons of Mary with Jesus- Ulyana Tomkevych)

KHRYSTYNA KVYK was born in 1994 in Drohobych (Lviv region, Ukraine). She is part of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, which maintains the Byzantine liturgical tradition as well as Eastern iconography.

 In 2014  she finished the Sambir College of Pedagogy (specialty in Fine Arts). In 2020 graduated from the Lviv National Academy of Arts (Master of Arts, specialty of sacral art). She has been the winner of many prizes for her art, notably in Poland and the Ukraine. In 2018 she won the first prize in the I International Iconographic Competition “New Epiphany of the Beauty” and in 2019 – the second prize in the II International Iconographic Competition “New Epiphany of Beauty” in Supraśl, Poland.

"The original task of the icon was to inform uneducated people about the doctrine of the Christian faith. Now, it serves as a supplement to the doctrine because most people are now educated. But the main purpose of iconography is the same: conveying the faith to as many people as possible. 

Icons help to improve my understanding of the Christian faith. It requires learning and reflecting all the time and it shapes my faith. Through painting icons, my understanding of the metaphorical meanings and complex symbolism of Christianity has grown so much. My passion to create art and my faith coexist in symbiosis.

I must admit that I’m happy to take part in the revival and development of Byzantine iconography in particular Ukrainian iconography. Also I’m happy to be a representative of contemporary iconography...

 It’s normal when artists express themselves and their views in any kind of art. We all are humans with our imagination and ideas. We are created in the image of God so we are created to create. Every person is talented and it’s important not to bury the talent in the ground.

It is said that the icon is painted by God as the Bible is written by God with humans assistance but I don’t want to downplay our role. As a matter of fact, the human factor is fully present.

The modern iconographer rethinks many symbols and makes them available to contemporary audience.

A large group of artists, in particular my colleagues from LNAA approach the icon dynamically and innovatively, paying tribute to the contemporary ethos of the artist and the style of contemporary art. Between the two views – more conservative and innovative – everyone seems to tends to one or another pole."

 (Quotes all taken from an interview with Kevin Antlitz- Transcendentalish Blog, 2021)

“May the prayers and invocations that are being raised to heaven touch the minds and hearts of those in positions of authority on earth, so that dialogue may prevail and the good of all be put before the interests of one side. Please, no more war.” Pope Francis