Buildings in Kiev. I hope they survive the onslaught.
Right now, Ukraine is on everyone’s mind. It doesn’t matter where you land on the political spectrum, there is a horrible disastrous war taking place. Ukraine is a struggling democracy on the border of the full-on autocracy of Putin’s Russia. It is rare to see so many countries around the world agree on anything, but a majority are taking sides against Putin and his destructive dreams of empire and dominance.
I am a painter who likes to travel to beautiful places and paint them. There are a lot of us out there. And in general we humans enjoy visiting beautiful cities and landscapes. It’s a natural thing to experience.
Somewhere in the center of Kiev.
I found some tourist photos of Kiev on the internet dating from 2008, link below. These drawings are inspired by those photos.
The images on the news coming out of Ukraine remind us that the blunt sword of war can destroy thousands of people but also centuries of culture. Buildings, villages, the evidence of lived lives are being smashed and torn apart by Putin’s horrific weapons. We have yet to know the true numbers of people who have been displaced, maimed, or murdered in this grim onslaught.
Ukraine is culturally strong and Ukrainians are incredibly courageous. The Ukrainian people are declaring their identity and standing up to the invasion. It is an impressive example to us all, and I hope we in the west can support them in any way that we can.
I’ve never been to Ukraine but I’m told the cities and the countryside are spectacular. One day I’ll gather a group of artists and we will go and paint the country. In the meantime history shows that wars can be devastating to the heart and fabric of a nation. Let’s all do what we can to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Ways to Help
Please be aware that in times of crisis scammers appear and try to rip off good-hearted people who are trying to help. Here is a short list of verified organizations where you can safely donate or volunteer.
International Rescue Committe
https://www.rescue.org/
Care
https://www.care.org/
Amnesty International
https://www.amnesty.org/en/
Airbnb
Airbnb has created a program for people to host refugees.
https://www.airbnb.org/refugees
images from
https://anatoliosblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/kiev-kyiv-city-capital-city-of-ukraine.html