I worked on the series «STONE WOMEN» during the autumn until the end of December 2022\. Four months of work allowed me to analyze and explore human moods and reactions to the terrible events of the present, to think about the importance of preserving cultural heritage and the role of women in historical disasters.

In my youth, while travelling my homeland, I got acquainted with the art of nomadic tribes that once lived on the territory of Ukraine. Namely, with their sculptures - the so-called «steles». People call them stone «babas». Usually these are statues of women, and sometimes men, holding a bowl filled with the spirit of ancestors at the level of the stomach. Even generations that lived thousands of years ago realized the importance of preserving national memory.

No matter how much history is rewritten, there is always something «eternal». According to various sources of information, these sculptures are more than a thousand years old. Some of the varieties of stone statues date back to the times before our era. Their image has always been mysterious and full of powerful energy for me. They still stand in the same place proudly, calmly and straight, in humble expectation of peace and justice. Maybe, that is why they are petrified.

> They stood for thousands of years and saw everything. They saw all our wars, repressions, the Holodomor. Now they are witnessing the Russian-Ukrainian war. They are witnesses of decay, witnesses of cynicism. At the same time, they are witnesses of human uplift and human strength.

The collection shows the power of a woman who, despite grief and trials, gives the world a new life. By trials I mean global problems, which are never lacking in world history. No wonder a woman has long been considered the guardian of the family.

It is important for any person, especially for a woman, for a mother, for a grandmother, to preserve her home, to protect her children from troubles and hardships, to keep them warm. It is unbearable painful to watch when someone destroys your home, razing it to the ground. Leaving a ruins and a scorching ruthless fire instead of home warmth.

Tragedies are happening, generations are passing away. Traditions are forgotten, culture is distorted. It is important to pass on your identity to future generations. Do not let them forget their roots. My stone women are dressed in authentic Ukrainian clothes - embroidered shirt. Their chests are decorated with corals. Embroidery, as an ancient craft, for me is a symbol of durability, a symbol of cultural continuity.

People live one day at a time. Without establishing connections between the past and the present, between the present and the future. They establish it only when they lose something.

> «...we establish the importance of the things only when we feel that we lose it. But it is usually too late.»

  
**News of September 2022**

  
The complex of stone women in the city of Izium consisted of eight sculptures. Several of the statues could not withstand the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was destroyed during the occupation of the city.

View the [link](https://culturecrimes.mkip.gov.ua/?p=1602&fbclid=IwAR2Fjl7byC8xgymtfsG3ssoralIJwwfCe%5F98r4GRNNfFVEuhRxwqkMazkSg) of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine on the damage of the Izium Fortress.

Now we are losing priceless cultural and historical artifacts, losing historical and cultural memory. Culture is built for centuries, but destroyed by generations in few years. Why are we still living one day at a time?

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Stone Women Nr. 4