Ukrainian woman remembers ‘horrible things’ from war ahead of Coventry art show

A refugee who fled the Ukrainian capital Kyiv when the Russians invaded has opened a exhibition in Coventry showcasing artwork celebrating her country. The art on show varies from paintings to sculptures to digital art, some of which were created in bomb shelters during Russia’s invasion of the country. The exhibition is being hosted by LTB Showrooms on Warwick Road and opens today (June 24).

It has been organised by Alexandra Churakova, who fled her home city of Kyiv on the opening day of the war and arrived in the UK on May 16. She now lives in Rugby on a sponsored visa. Alexandra spoke to Coventry Live about leaving her home city and country as a result of the invasion, as well as the exhibition.

READ MORE:Warm welcome makes Coventry feel ‘like a little Ukraine’ to refugees She said: “All of them (works on show) are made by Ukrainian artists and were made during the war. Most of them were transported from the border of Ukraine and Poland and some of the artists are refugees like me and made them while they were here in England.

“The paintings express their feelings about what is happening in Ukraine, some are of feelings of hope with beautiful bright colours and symbolic of Ukraine.” Some of the artists whose work have been transported to the UK remain in Ukraine. The opening day of the exhibition is significant, as it marks four months since Russian forces invaded the country.

Alexandra left Kyiv on February 24 and then went to the west of Ukraine, where she stayed for one month. She then went to live with her aunt in Germany before arriving in the United Kingdom on May 16.

(Image: Ukraine Our Home)

She said: “I found my sponsor on a Facebook page and he is a really kind man, he helps with everything. I am very glad.

I was waiting for my visa application in Germany for 40 days.” “We lived in a house of some relatives, the housed us for as long as we needed. We lived in small rooms with eight people sleeping on the floor.

“Every day we were watching the news, talking to relatives all over Ukraine. There was a lot of worry for the first month. “Every day I woke up with hope to see something good, but it was always something bad.

Here is very safe, but when I first arrived I thought about all horrible things which happened to me and to Ukraine.”

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