‘UKRAINIAN voices’ have been celebrated at a recent event in Wiveliscombe with each one giving the audience a unique perspective on the nation’s invasion.

The event kicked off with Marina Omelchenko saying her grandfather would always start a family gathering with “I hope you never see a war”. She spoke about how this always confused her, confusion that lasted up until February 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.

Marina, who studied at the academy of Arts in Kyiv, had planned to submit her thesis for her final year on themes of love and beauty, the with use of bright colours. Instead, she created powerful images of the terrible events that had taken place in her homeland.

Marina went on to give insight into the artistic process, sharing the stories behind Lullaby, Childhood, Broken Family, My Ukraine Hurts, and I Dreamt of Victory One Night. (Part of Childhood, featuring an image of Marina’s husband with daughter and god daughter, pictured in this article).

Marina now works and earns a living in England, with her work being exhibited alongside traditional ‘Petrikivka’ style, at the Ukrainian Cafe in Paul Street, Taunton.

Katya Savchenko shared personal impressions from her home city of Sumy, and this included a film of a burning church on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The event ended things on a lighter note with Alexei Poleshyk and his ten-year-old daughter Katya telling humorous tales of Easter in the old days. Alexei says his grandfather had tried to gain ‘good luck and a long life’ by visiting 12 families at Easter, and eating 12 easter cakes.

An attendee to the Ukrainian Voice event said: “The Ukraine Voices evening gave us a glimpse of the living in a war zone with its devastation, heartache and resilience.”