Hi!
It is dark already in Kyiv. 5:22 pm is the exact time I typed this 'hi'. Victory (still a cat) is nearby; she rarely gives me such 'Can I sleep near you?' moments. She is an independent cat and prefers to be all alone.
Ok, she already left. Five seconds is too long for her (haha).
I want to start with gratitude. I was pleased to get sweet feedback on my previous letter. You gave me the strength to continue. I also like that you accepted my honesty and free writing style.
Words: Hi
Me: Hi, dearest. How are you today? Ready?
Words: We are always ready to fly.
War: Hi.
Me: You?!
War: Yes. I am ready, too.
So, everyone is here (Victory is not). In this letter, you will see some pictures I took the other day (except for the part with sculptures).
As usual, I will tell you some of the latest war news. I am not sure if they are the most important. Maybe just the ones I chose to remind you:
- Yes, the war is here. She is here (in Ukrainian, the war is she; in my vivid imagination, somehow the war became a woman, probably in her golden age, tall, slim, mostly in black, sometimes angry, but often very tired).
Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska has said that 90% of Ukrainians experience war-related stress. I can confirm. Of course, not about that 90%, but about myself. I sleep badly; I wake up often at night to check the phone. I am afraid when Victory (still a cat) is on the windowsill during the alerts. I always buy more food than is needed (just in case).
Let's make a picture break and go to the news.
Yesterday, on November 18, UK Defence Intelligence updated on the situation on the Ukrainian frontline.
'Over the past week, the most intense ground fighting has taken place on three fronts of the contact line, with neither side making any progress, but the russians near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast are suffering particularly heavy losses... The most intense ground fighting had taken place on the Kupiansk front in Luhansk Oblast, near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast, and on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast, where Ukrainian forces have established a foothold.'
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War have reported that the Ukrainian Defence Forces have pursued their operations on the Dnipro River's left bank in Kherson Oblast, holding their positions and likely deploying additional infantry. General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that Ukrainian forces are consolidating the positions on the left bank of Dnipro. One of the goals is to push the russians further away from the right bank to protect civilians.
Kherson and Kherson Oblast are shelled constantly from the left bank. Today, five people were injured in a russian attack on Kherson: a 3-year-old girl with her 55-year-old grandmother, a 59-year-old man, and two women aged 47 and 69.
Yesterday, two people were wounded, including a volunteer. On Friday, a resident of a village in Kherson Oblast was killed during the artillery attack. On Thursday evening, the city of Kherson was under a large-scale attack. One person was killed, and eight were injured.... I can go on and on and on....
War: Why are you looking at me?
Me: Nothing. Go away.
War: I cannot.
Me: Why?
Words: Why?
Kyiv is attacked more often these days. Drones. Every night. Last night, ten drones were down on their way to Kyiv.
Winter is coming. But Kyiv is protected much better than last year. I am not an expert, of course. These are just my thoughts and things I read and can analyze.
We are lucky to have heating, hot and cold water, and power. Yet.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, informed that Ukraine’s defense forces have recently received more than 2,000 Ukrainian-made drones. Among them are copters, aircraft-type UAVs; reconnaissance, kamikaze, and reusable bombers.
I tried to show you the picture of today's Ukraine in this short overview. I encourage you to read more.
And now, the part I love. It is not about the war; it is about what we are fighting for. I was told that not everyone might be interested in art or sculpture. I agree. But the point is that I share what I love most now. I don't travel these days (too cold, and I need to get used to this cold weather). Soon, I hope.
The other day, I bought a magnificent book about modern Ukrainian sculptors. Today, I want to share information about the sculptor who impressed me the first time I saw his works.
Nazar Bilyk
It is one of his first sculptures called Rain (bronze, glass, h-190 cm). It was created in 2008 and first appeared at his solo exhibition in 2010, immediately arousing widespread interest.
'It arose at a time in my life,' says Nazar, 'when I was facing many problems, creative and ideological. I asked a question to the sky, and the fallen drop contained the answer.'
Nazar Bilyk was born in a family of artists in Lviv in 1979. He studied wood processing and later sculpture in Kyiv. Traveled a lot. Today, the artist has participated in more than 30 exhibitions in Ukraine, the USA, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.
Sleeping, 2010 (steel, h-185 cm)
From the series Space around, 2021 (resins, marble, fiberglass, stainless steel, h-240 cm)
It is a work about the experience and interaction of the individual with space and the environment, the influence and reflection of one in the other. I used the principle of reverse volume that denotes the interaction between optics and the means of perceiving reality, says Nazar Bilyk.
You can see more works on his website
Cut, 2018 (bronze, h-56 cm)
War: Bravo!
Me: What?
Words: What?
War: You finished.
Victory (still a cat) found her favorite box and fell asleep. A thick evening covered late November Sunday. Cars. People. Noises outside.
A few days ago, the hairdresser said:
- Do you remember when we dyed your hair without water? It was a challenge. And all these times you went home with wet hair because we had no power to dry it? It was a deep winter. We even laughed at it. How did we manage to do it? How?
I thought and answered:
- There is always a choice on how to manage through difficulties. Probably, we chose the right one. We accepted them and didn't complain.
I need to go (actually, I don't need to go anywhere; just to finish the letter). I want to remind you that you can share it or any part with your friends (or enemies 🙈).
Gentle bow from me and my words,
Yara (or Yaroslava)
P.S. Please know that even a cup of warcoffee makes a huge difference. It is my fuel for words to fly and hands to take pictures. Thank you.