On February 23, the Ukrainian-Polish art project “War through the Prism of Art” was presented in Kiev at the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
Art plays an important role in highlighting the horrors of the war and in overcoming its consequences, so the presentation of Ukrainian works in the European scientific and cultural space is very important, said Professor of Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, Honorary Restorer of Ukraine Yulia Ivashko.
“In March, a conference will be held at the University of Lodz where the role of the artist and art in covering the war in Ukraine and its post-war reconstruction will be discussed. In addition, exhibitions of works by Ukrainian photographer and defender Sergey Belinsky have already been held in the Czech Opava and Ostrava, and in the near future an exhibition will open in Polish Poznan,” Iwashko said at a press conference in the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Thursday.
According to her, the tragedy of the war in Ukraine forced everyone to reconsider their system of values.
“Now we Ukrainians are changing the world, and in such projects it is very important to feel a sense of elbow of our European friends, so to speak,” she stressed.
The head of the press service of the 28th separate mechanized brigade of the AFU named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign Sergey Belinsky, who is the author of the works presented at the exhibition, thanked Polish colleagues for their support and stressed that the art project was started since the first days of the war and gradually became not only artistic, but also scientific.
“This is not only an exhibition of photographic works, but also a record of the devastation in the south of our country. In addition to the photo exhibition itself, we have already published two books with photos, descriptions and stories,” said S. Belinsky.
Head of the press service of the 28th separate mechanized brigade of the AFU named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign Sergey Bilinsky, who is the author of the works presented at the exhibition, thanked Polish colleagues for their support and stressed that the art project was started since the first days of the war and gradually became not only artistic, but also scientific.
“This is not only an exhibition of photographic works, but also a record of the devastation in the south of our country. In addition to the photo exhibition itself, we have already published two books with photos, descriptions and stories,” said S. Bilinsky.
According to Anastasia Urakina, an architect and young scholar, a graduate student at the Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, war and the risks associated with it can lead to various psychological traumas, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and others. That is why the art project “War through the prism of art” together with the Kyiv think tank “Experts Club” are conducting a course of psychological rehabilitation and art therapy for people of all walks of life – children, disabled people, the elderly and others.
“The groups will be led by professional psychologists and artists, and the classes will be held at the Kyiv-based think tank Experts Club. There will also be art therapy classes and exhibitions of works by Ukrainian artists,” emphasized Urakina.
ART, ART_THERAPY, BELINSKY, EXPERTS CLUB, KNUBA, UNIVERSITY OF LODZ, ІВАШКО, ПАВЛОВСЬКА, УРАКІНА
The international charitable organization Parimatch Foundation launches a new product for children as a part of its Mental Health program — therapeutic art coloring to overcome stressful situations. The project was created with the participation of the Institute of Cognitive Modeling, under the authorship and methodology of expert Victoria Nazarevich.
The children’s coloring book is based on Victoria Nazarevych’s author’s methodology. She is a practicing psychologist with 25 years of experience working with children, a professor at the Department of Psychology and Pedagogy of Kyiv International University, a Candidate in Psychological Sciences, and a child psychology and art therapy expert.
A detailed set of therapeutic coloring exercises is developed and based on the principles of play therapy, which allows parents to help their child without the additional involvement of psychologists when he or she is stressed, angered, afraid or withdrawn.
The manual is based on the use of art therapy and fairy tale therapy techniques that have already proven their effectiveness in working with children who have experienced traumatic stress disorder.
— War and any changes, in general, make children feel disorder or inner chaos. Therefore, in such cases, adults should offer the child a system of internal self-regulation that will help to cope with the state when it is tough inside and the child does not understand what is happening. Art therapy is excellent in stressful situations when you need to relieve bodily tension. Therefore, when it is difficult for a child and he or she feels a burden inside, the coloring book offers several effective exercises that will help to cope with stress, — says Victoria Nazarevych.
The coloring book consists of 10 tasks, each of which helps the child to cope with different emotions and states. You can find and download free art coloring on the Parimatch Foundation website — preferably in A3 or A4 formats alongside step-by-step video instructions and advice from a qualified psychologist Victoria Nazarevych. Video guides added on the website will help to clarify conditions and emotions when a child may need a particular section of the coloring.
To work, you will need colored pencils and a little patience to accompany the child at each stage of the tasks proposed in the coloring book. Adults need to be close, supportive, and interested in the child’s impressions: what was annoying, upsetting, or, conversely, what the kid liked the most while drawing.
Art coloring will be useful for parents and guardians, teachers, educators, volunteers of children’s centers, social workers, curators of children’s programs, inclusive assistants, and teacher-defectologists. As well as for helping professionals who are in direct interaction with the child and ensure his mental, moral and physical well-being. The project complements several products that are already helping Ukrainian children not only in Ukraine but also abroad, where many families who were forced to leave the country are now.
It should be noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the international charitable organization Parimatch Foundation has been making efforts to help the children of Ukraine. One of the main areas of work is psychological support for children affected by russian aggression. Recently, the Foundation presented the first Ukrainian-language collection of children’s audio fairy tales «Secret stories of small and big victories» as a part of its Mental Health program. You can listen to the audiobook for free on the ABUK platform, in the «Audio» section of the MEGOGO application on iOS and Android smartphones, and cars with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay audio systems.
