Ukrainian Art Exhibition: Telling Their Story
Finding a community that listens, supports and acts has been a life-line for over a dozen Ukrainians who have found a safe place to call home in Llantwit Major.
At the heart of their connection to their new neighbours has been St Illtud’s Church which is currently helping them tell their story through an art exhibition.
Displayed among the iconic ancient stones are dolls and a mannequin displaying traditional Ukrainian dress along with canvases and sketches.
Each of the people who have come over from Ukraine have contributed something to the exhibition which also contains work from the local art group which meet in and around St Illtud’s.
Nonna Davydenko represents her fellow Ukrainians as the Art Manager.
She said art helps to convey the complexity of human emotion when talking about what is happening to them and their country.
“We want to represent Ukrainians and we want to ask what makes a Ukrainian. Some of us have had some very hard experiences. So that was the start of making some hope, and to dream about something. When you have an inspiration, art makes it very easy to put on the canvas your dream.
We get asked a lot of questions and it is not always easy to clarify everything from our story. We just describe it. But art makes it easier for people to understand what we feel.
It has also allowed some of the artists from Llantwit Major to show how they feel about Ukraine.
We are so grateful to people in the church that we have this opportunity and maybe more in the future.
People are so kind. They just want to be supportive and understand. Everybody wants to do something.
People do a lot for us.
They talk with us, hug us and give donations, it’s a lot but they do it. They do amazing things. We are not alone each of us. We are feeling this. All of this show that we are doing well together and it gives us belief and hope that maybe someday we are free to go home. We dream about home. We just say thank you because we are here and you give us the opportunity to be assured that our children are in a safe place.
I want to say about the church where we have the exhibition: It's so amazing for life for Christ. All of this together. It's the right place for us. We have the exhibition, but the church is a miracle for us. Thank you for sharing this place. It's amazing does things and the community is so supportive.”
The Reverend Canon Edwin Counsell, Ministry Area Leader of the Heritage Coast and vicar at St Illtud’s Church, reflects:
“Churches have always been places of sanctuary in times of conflict, and it has been a delight to welcome our friends from Ukraine to St Illtud’s Church in Llantwit Major. We lit a candle on the first day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and our pledge to the people of Ukraine is that we will keep that candle alight until there’s peace in their country. The candle is just a tiny, flickering light in the darkness, yet it speaks of the flame of God’s love that we are privileged to proclaim here, and I hope the light of Christ shines brightly for all of our Ukrainian friends at a dark time for them.
The Ukrainian art exhibition has been fabulous. It has run for a fortnight as part of a local festival of art, literature and music, with St Illtud’s Church hosting the exhibition and lots of different cultural events. The exhibition has had a constant stream of visitors, and countless people have said how much they appreciated the fabulous artwork. We even had TV Smith from the punk band The Adverts, performing at St Illtud’s, and he sang a song in Ukrainian!
We’ve got to know the local Ukrainian families over the last 2 years as we’ve organised collections to support them. I often meet them in the church, coming in to light candles for loved ones and perhaps find a few moments of quietness. Christian faith unites us, but this month’s exhibition has helped to strengthen our bond of friendship, as Nonna, Anna and the others have shared so much of their culture and their lives with us, through their art. The difference now is that we've come to know one another as good friends, and we’re already talking about the next event we can do together!
My own reflection at the end of the exhibition is that I’m simply in awe of the people of Ukraine. How can a group of people who are going through such a dreadful time in their lives, produce paintings and artwork that is simply so joyful? Perhaps the key to it is in their national flag, in which the two blocks of yellow and blue represent a field of sunflowers (the Ukrainian national flower), sitting below a clear blue sky. Awesome!”