Graphic chronicles of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war in the works of Ukrainian icon painters

Abstract

The relevance of the study was determined by the active dissemination of expressive graphic sketches
created by artists during the full-scale war, a significant part of which combines the iconographic tradition with
elements of war reporting. Despite the presence of these works in the digital space and the growing interest in
them, the illustration of war crimes by Ukrainian icon painters is an understudied topic. The aim of the article
was to outline the role of graphic chronicles in the works of Roman Barabakh, Ulyana Krekhovets and Danylo
Movchan and to identify the artistic features of the works. The study used qualitative and quantitative methods,
formal, iconographic, and semiotic analysis. It analysed 164 works created by Ukrainian icon painters during the
full-scale war. The article focused on works created between March and July 2022, when icon painters were most
active in creating graphic chronicles. The analysed works demonstrated a synthesis of the visual language of icon
painting with the current political and social context. The artists’ work revealed active encryption of meanings
through the symbolic system of iconography, the personification of heroes in the form of saints, references to
local iconographic images, and the documentation of specific military events. The article noted a decrease in the
number of such works, indicating the emotional exhaustion of artists and the gradual adaptation of society to the
prolonged threat. The analysis showed that graphic chronicles created by icon painters during the war perform
a number of important functions, including social, memorial, and communicative ones. In particular, it was found
that social networks were actively used by artists to disseminate their work and engage the audience in reflection.
The practical value of the study lay in recording new artistic strategies that demonstrated the transformation of
iconographic images during wartime. The study of these processes provided a deeper understanding of the role of
sacred art as a form of reflection, documentation and spiritual support in times of trial