Prymachenko Folk Paintings Burn in Ukrainian History Museum

By Joe Bulman

Maria Prymachenko, Our Army, Our Protectors, 1978, Gouache on Paper, 61 x 82 cm, Ukraine. https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2022/03/maria-prymachenko-folk-art/.

Following Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, much of the international condemnation of the attacks has taken place online. In a tweet that has since been deleted, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that as a result of the devastating conflict, twenty-five works by the artist Maria Prymachenko, whose folkloric paintings were stored in the Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum, had been burnt by Russian occupiers.

Maria Prymachenko, A Dove Has Spread Her Wings and Asks for Peace, 1982, Gouache and Fluorescent Paint on Paper, 61.2 x 85.7 cm, Ukraine. https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/maria-prymachenko-art-and-museum-destroyed-by-the-russian-forces-in-ukraine/.

Maria Prymachenko, who died in 1997, was a Ukrainian folk-art painter who worked with a selection of traditional media including painting, ceramics, and embroidery. Prymachenko is known for her vivacious, colourful depictions of Ukrainian culture. In 1936 Prymachenko gained notoriety for her work in Paris, most famously by Pablo Picasso, who upon seeing Prymachenko’s art, said ‘I bow down before the artistic miracle of this brilliant Ukrainian.’ Prymachenko’s work is celebrated in Ukraine, with much of her work used on postage stamps and as influence for local sculptures. In addition, Prymachenko’s portrait decorates the Ukrainian five-hryvnia coin and UNESCO announced that 2009 was the ‘Year of Maria Prymachenko’. The drawings of Prymachenko are prized within Ukraine and internationally, and as a result, the fire has prompted outrage from a variety of cultural institutions and individuals.

Maria Prymachenko, Two-Headed Chicken, 1977, Gouache and Fluorescent Paint on Paper, 62.8 x 85.4 cm, Ukraine. https://www.wikiart.org/en/maria-primachenko/two-headed-chicken-1977.

The burning of the museum was well documented by many witnesses on social media including Emine Dzhaparova, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. She commented on the fire at the local museum by sharing a video of the scene. She wrote: ‘having no culture of their own, they destroy all the heritage of other nations.’ Notably, during the fire a local civilian entered the building and saved as many artworks as possible. The extent of the damage caused by the attack remains unclear. The country’s art scene has been massively impacted, not only when considering Maria Prymachenko’s legacy, but also for the artist representing Ukraine at the Venice Biennale this spring, Pavlo Makov. The invasion has forced him to stop working on the pavilion due to the danger for the curators and artists involved. Various cultural leaders and directors in Ukraine have documented this attack as an ‘irreparable loss’ to culture and to humanity.

Bibliography 

Chow, Vivienne. 2022. “Russian Forces Burned Down a Museum Home to Dozens of Works by Ukrainian Folk Artist Maria Prymachenko” artnet, February 28, 2022. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/maria-prymachenko-ukraine-russia-2078634. 

Dzhaparova, Emine (@EmineDzheppar). 2022. “Tonight in Ivankiv near Kyiv…” Twitter, February 28, 2022, 11:46 a.m. https://twitter.com/EmineDzheppar/status/1498263303428190216. 

Ebert, Grace. 2022. “Rich with Imaginative Detail, Maria Prymachenko’s Colourful Folk Art Speaks to Life in Ukraine.” Colossal, March 3, 2022. https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2022/03/maria-prymachenko-folk-art/. 

Greenberger, Alex. 2022. “Paintings by Maria Prymachenko Burn as Ukrainian History Museum Weathers Destruction” ARTnews, February 28, 2022. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/maria-prymachenko-paintings-ivankiv-museum-destroyed-1234620348/. 

Schofield, Blanca. 2022. “Russia-Ukraine war: How Maria Prymachenko’s art was saved from Putin’s troops.” The Times, March 3, 2022. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russia-ukraine-war-how-maria-prymachenkos-art-was-saved-from-putins-troops-jf9mlk9xk. 

Solomon, Tessa. 2022. “As Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Intensifies, Artists and Institutions React to an Uncertain Future.” ARTnews, February 25, 2022. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/russia-ukraine-invasion-artists-museums-react-1234620180/. 

“The Fabulous World of Maria Prymachenko” Wall Street International Art, August 25, 2018. https://wsimag.com/art/42352-the-fabulous-world-of-maria-prymachenko.