The war waged by the Russians in Ukraine does not only cause human and environmental damage, but also cultural damage. The conflict notably led to the destruction of the mythical house of the artist Polina Rayko, near Kherson, reports The Guardian.
The residence was, like a large part of the region, drowned in floods after the explosion of the Kakhovka dam on the night of June 5 to 6. This house was the main work of Polina Rayko, an emblematic figure of Ukrainian naive art. Made of samanna, a mixture of clay, straw and sand, the building was particularly fragile.
Painting to mourn
Polina Rayko had started painting at the age of 69 to mourn her husband and her daughter. Without artistic training or special equipment, she painted the walls of her house for six years, until her death in 2004. The fragile building then became a real place of pilgrimage for Ukrainian artists.
“His main and only work was his house”, testifies a Ukrainian art historian interviewed by The Guardian. “We have lost not only his legacy, but also his presence. “On social networks, many artists and personalities have paid tribute to Polina Rayko.
Unfortunately, this is not the first work of art damaged or destroyed since the start of the war. The museum containing the works of Maria Avksentievna Primatchenko, another figure of naive art, was targeted by an attack in February 2022. The Ukrainian artist Viacheslav Mashnytskyi has also been missing since October 2022.