In Ukraine, an iron icon of Christ the Savior Not-Made-by-Hands was created from the fragments of Russian artillery mines and shells.
American artist Sergey Melnikoff, founder of the International Charitable Foundation Soul of Ukraine, presented his work at Ukrinform.
Melnikoff created a three-dimensional image of Christ using six layers of black fragments from artillery shells and mines. These fragments were selected by hand, without any mechanical processing. The face of Christ is depicted on a “towel” made from flattened-out shell fragments that are coated with gold.
“For three months, we worked with a metal welder to choose each fragment. We have about 2 tons of these fragments in our workshop. This large quantity was necessary to find the right pieces to accurately recreate every detail of Christ’s face. The towel is made from unfolded metal of 12 and 30-caliber shells,” Melnikoff explained.
The Soul of Ukraine International Charitable Foundation plans to auction the icon internationally, with the proceeds aimed at funding the construction of a summer camp and later a rehabilitation center on the Adriatic Sea for Ukrainian children with disabilities caused by the war.
“I hope that by fall, we can establish a pilot children’s camp. We already have a 2-hectare plot of land right on the seashore. Based on this camp, we will then build a rehabilitation center. We decided to start raising significant funds for this initiative by selling unique works of art at auctions, like the piece you see today,” said Melnikoff.
To draw international attention to the project, the Soul of Ukraine International Charitable Foundation created the Ukrainian coat of arms using fragments of mines and shells. This piece, along with a certificate, will be officially presented as a gift on behalf of the Ukrainian people to King Charles III of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and the Commonwealth Realms.
Text & photo: RISU
