This book is not only about art in wartime. It is an attempt to capture the experience of male and female artists in the military — 22 accounts by veterans, officers and soldiers who paint. A collection of oral histories that makes it possible to hear the voices of specific people and to see the war through their personal experience and their artworks, created both before and during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Every story of a person’s struggle during the Russian-Ukrainian war deserves to be heard, recorded and preserved. After all, the personal stories of every serviceman and every servicewoman are parts of the history of Ukraine. By joining the ranks of the Defense Forces, a person does not stop being an artist, a musician, an engineer, a teacher or a scientist… The person changes, their creativity transforms, and so I want as much of this history as possible to be heard and preserved,” says Kseniia Dvornikova.
Among the book’s heroes are artists Yaroslav Baida, Roman Barabakh, Olena Bilozerska, Oleksandr Bryndikov, Olha “Shalena Ptytsia” (Crazy Bird) Voroniuk, Dmytro “Smile” Hapchynskyi, Yurii “Khudozhnyk” (Artist) Hladchenko, Valerii “Fincher” Puzik and other artists who are now defending Ukraine.
“It is important that Europeans and the Ukrainian diaspora hear the voices of Ukrainians themselves — people who are living through the war, defending their country and continuing to create. The stories of artists in the military help to better understand the experience of Ukrainians, to learn about the Russian-Ukrainian war through personal destinies and to realize that even at war a person does not lose their identity. We must tell these stories so that the voice of Ukraine is heard around the world,” notes Yaryna Yasynievych, Program Director of the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation.
During the presentation, Kseniia Dvornikova will talk about her work on the book, the stories of its heroes and the specifics of documenting the experience of artists at war. The author will also read excerpts from the accounts included in the book.
“It is important that the book presentation will take place at the Ukrainian Institute in Prague — a space the Ukrainian community had long awaited and which we recently opened. It has already become a meeting place for Ukrainian and Czech cultures, a space for conversations about Ukraine, its history, present and people. Events such as the presentation of the book ‘Artists at War’ fill this space with the living stories of Ukrainians and help bring them to a European audience,” notes Rostyslav Prokopiuk.
Kseniia Dvornikova is a journalist, a host at Ukrainian Radio and Head of Communications at the Pylyp Orlyk Foundation. She has worked in journalism and communications for over 15 years. She is the author of the book “Surviving Hostomel: 21 Stories from a Hero City”, which in 2026 was longlisted for the BBC Book of the Year award in the “Essays” category. The book “Artists at War: Stories of Art and Choice” was published by Folio Publishing House in 2026.
The book presentation will be held in Ukrainian on November 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the Ukrainian Institute in Prague (Štefánikova 21).
Admission is free, but please register https://forms.gle/45rX1atCAT6gJxrW9
Organizers: Ukrainian Institute in Prague, Pylyp Orlyk Foundation, Folio Publishing House.
