“Motherland”. Reinterpretation

The “Motherland” sculpture has not been perceived by society as a Soviet monument for a long time. Eventually, it embarked on the path of visual and perceptual transformation, wearing a wreath of poppies and Ukrainian national costumes time after time. Moreover, from February 24, 2022, it became a recognizable visual image of Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression. During this difficult time, the monument was illuminated with the colors of the Ukrainian Flag, and it also assumed the most diverse images on the Internet, which stated the main message: “The “Motherland” is a symbol of the invincibility of Ukraine”.

Our exhibition is about the redefining of the “Motherland” sculpture during the Russian-Ukrainian War. All new, creative, sometimes unexpected images of the sculpture will be displayed on the walls of the Lower Moscow Gate of the Old Pechersk fortress of the 18th century.

From the first days of the open aggression, artists repeatedly used the image of the “Motherland” as a sign of resistance. We witnessed the rapid transformation of the sculpture and its development as a new, reinterpreted symbol of the struggle and the inevitable victory of Ukrainians. The most defining thing for artists and content makers was the geographical orientation of the sculpture towards Moscow, while the sword and shield in its hands turned into an effective anti-ruscist weapon. It was a new patriotic, sometimes satirical, digital content that expressed motivation for resistance and armed struggle against the occupants. The accumulated collection (онлайн версія виставки) is a real art worth seeing.

The official soundtrack of the project is the song “Sword” by the Ukrainian band “Sera Sheer”. Oleksandra Shcherbakova, the author of the text and performer, and Artem Biriukov, the author of the visuals, created an anime-style video dedicated to the struggle of the “Motherland” sculpture with the Russian monster, which was ultimately destroyed. At the presentation, you will hear a live author’s performance. The design of the project’s unique visual image, the mural on the Gate, was created by the Kyiv artist Yaroslav Yefremov, a member of the MuralMarket team.