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‘Dark tourism’ is attracting visitors to war zones and sites of atrocities in Israel and Ukraine. Why?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/juliet-rogers-333488">Juliet Rogers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> There is a disturbing trend of people travelling to the sadder places of the world: sites of military attacks, war zones and disasters. Dark tourism is now a phenomenon, with <a href="https://dark-tourism.com/">its own website</a> and dedicated tour guides. People visit these places to mourn, or to remember and honour the dead. But sometimes they just want to look, and sometimes they want to delight in the pain of others. Of course, people have long visited places like the <a href="https://www.auschwitz.org/en/visiting/guided-tours-for-individual-visitors/">Auschwitz-Birkenau</a> Memorial, <a href="https://www.911memorial.org/911-faqs">the site of the Twin Towers</a> destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, <a href="https://www.robben-island.org.za/tour-types/">Robben Island Prison</a>, where Nelson Mandela and others spent many years, and more recently, <a href="https://chernobyl-tour.com/english/">the Chernobyl nuclear power plant</a>. But there are more recent destinations, connected to active wars and aggression. Since the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/2024/10/11/one-year-hamas-oct-attack-israel-northern-border-1961816.html">Hamas military attacks</a> of October 7 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage, celebrities and tourists have visited the related sites of the Nova music festival and the Nir Oz Kibbutz in Palestine/Israel. The kibbutz tours, guided by former residents, allow people to view and be guided through houses of the dead, to be shown photographs and bullet holes. Sderot, the biggest city targeted by Hamas, is offering <a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-oct-7-tourism-sderot-8b21f590c37fa6780bf9190d6bfb62b7">what it describes as “resilience tours”</a>, connecting tourists with October 7 survivors. Similar places are visited <a href="https://wartours.in.ua/2023/02/25/dark-tourism-in-ukraine/">in Ukraine</a>. The “popular” Donbas war tour, for instance, takes visitors to the front lines of the conflict and offers “a firsthand look at the impact of the war on the local population”, introducing them to displaced locals, soldiers and volunteer fighters. There’s also <a href="https://wartours.in.ua/en/">a Kyiv tour</a>, which takes in destroyed military equipment and what remains of missile strikes. <h2>Solidarity tours</h2> These tours have various names, but <a href="https://touringisrael.com/tour/october-7-solidarity-tour/">one Israeli company</a> calls them “solidarity tours”. The idea of solidarity lessens the presumption of voyeurism, or the accusation of ghoulish enjoyment of pain or suffering. It suggests an affinity with those who have died or those who have lost loved ones. But solidarity is a political affiliation too. These tours are not only therapeutic. They are not only about “bearing witness”, as many guides and visitors attest. They are also about solidarity with the struggle. What is this struggle? Genocide scholar Dirk Moses <a href="https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/more-than-genocide/">has written thoughtfully</a> on this after October 7. Colonial states seek not just security, but “permanent security”. This makes them hyper-defensive of their borders. Israel was created as a nation <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/truman-israel/">by the newly formed United Nations</a> in 1947, two years after the end of World War II and in the shadow of the Holocaust: it was an inevitable product of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-century-on-the-balfour-declaration-still-shapes-palestinians-everyday-lives-86662">Balfour Declaration</a> (1917) that carved up the Middle East. The creation of the Israeli state turned relationships between Palestinians and Jewish people into borders to navigate and police, producing a line of security to defend. These borders have long been sites of humiliation and denigration toward Palestinians, whose homelands have been now occupied for many generations. Israeli Defense Force soldiers themselves <a href="https://www.breakingthesilence.org.il/testimonies/videos/29690">have spoken passionately</a> about the brutal and arbitrary violence that occurs there, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10978-016-9195-y">including “creative punishments”</a>. These were the borders that protected the sites targeted by Hamas. The Nova music festival was five kilometres from one of these borders. For many Israelis, any breach of those borders, any sense of loss of control, courts the terrors of the past. It raises the spectre of the Holocaust: the destruction of European Jewry, the loss of sovereignty over family, home, and over life, the loss of millions of lives, again. For Israel, as for any colonial state, security is a permanent aspiration, in Moses’s terms. The stakes are high. Dark tourism, seen in this light, is not only solidarity with those who have lost loved ones on October 7. It is solidarity with the border, with those who have lost that security. And that loss is profound, traumatic and, at least psychologically, can provoke violent reactions in an effort to have the borders – geographical and psychological – reasserted. <h2>‘I stand with you’</h2> Transitional justice mechanisms such as the truth commissions in <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/">South Africa</a>, <a href="https://www.usip.org/publications/2002/02/truth-commission-timor-leste-east-timor">Timor Leste</a> and <a href="https://www.usip.org/publications/1983/12/truth-commission-argentina">Argentina</a> apply legal frameworks to heal nations from the trauma of crimes against humanity. These mechanisms are one choice after experiences of mass violence. Ironically, their catchphrase is Nunca Mas (never again), which was the title of the 1984 report by Argentina’s <a href="https://www.usip.org/publications/1983/12/truth-commission-argentina">National Commission on the Dissappeared</a>. Permanent security of the kind Israel is seeking is another choice – and its catchphrase might well be the same. Never again will Israel’s borders be breached, never again will Jewish life be subjected to mass destruction with impunity. This is what solidarity can mean: not only grieving alongside those who have suffered, but attachment to an identity and borders, which are reinforced through participation. “I stand with you” is perhaps what the visits are for. I stand with you on this land, at this time, and perhaps for all time. But stand beside you in what now? In grief, yes. But also in rage, in pain, in vengeance and, for some, in making Israel great again. The hashtag #standwithus accompanies some calls for visits to the October 7 sites, for this form of tourism. It means stand with us at Israel’s border. From there, you can hear the sound of bombs falling: <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/world/israel-7-october-massacre-sites-dark-draw-tourists-3101715">in Gaza</a>, a place where no solidarity tour will go. Yet. <h2>Memorials, grief and understanding</h2> Dark tourism is not always for those associated with the events. Some people visit sites of disaster and loss because they want to understand the greater sadnesses of the world and its formidable brutalities. Some want to show their respect to others. It’s not dissimilar to visiting memorials. Memorials collate the disparate parts of grief and reflect it as public memory. They offer fragments of historical pain that can be borne in more than one mind, to create a shared reality. In Pretoria, South Africa, a memorial called <a href="https://www.freedompark.co.za/">Freedom Park</a> depicts the names of every person who died in every war fought in South Africa, as well as those South Africans who died in the world wars. The names are written on a wall that circles the park. It is impossibly long and circular, and you cannot measure it with your own stride. It is disorientating and interminable, like grief. In this memorial-metaphor, you are unable to comprehend – and at the same time are awash with – a history of loss, represented by the names. The walls contain you, and then they cannot. Grief and even solidarity is not always about comprehension or containment. Sometimes it is about proximity. Sometimes, it is about sitting with not knowing. Sometimes, it is about solidarity with something that cannot be made sense of. Trauma, psychoanalysis tells us, is an experience of what we cannot assimilate. If you sit in proximity to people and places where traumatic events have happened, you can learn something. If you see the bullet holes at a site of loss, you can comprehend something. But not everything. Bullet holes in a wall are the very definition of a partial story. People visit memorials and sites of loss to learn and to unlearn. Dark tourism has this quality. <h2>Obscenity of understanding</h2> In my field, criminology and trauma studies, we try to understand why people do the violent things they do. Holocaust filmmaker and commentator <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26303924">Claude Lanzmann has said</a> we must not indulge in what he calls the “obscenity of the project of understanding” in relation to Nazi perpetrators of the Holocaust. He regards curiosity about the minds of perpetrators and the rationale for violence as a violence in itself. Of the Holocaust, he says you cannot ask “Why were the Jews killed?”. It is the result that matters. But it is also the reaction that matters. The state of Israel itself – permanent security and its attendant horrors – is part of that reaction. But understanding can influence the reaction to violence, and contribute something to the promise of Never Again. Understanding allows us to hold more than one story in mind. It allows us to do more than <a href="https://www.ochaopt.org/">count the more than 1,200 killed</a> in Israel, or the 41,689 (plus) Palestinians killed in Gaza. Bodies are always more than numbers. But explanation is one thing, justification another. Justification is best left to the courts, international or otherwise, after the violence has ceased. It is hard to hear about dark tourism in Israel/Palestine and in Ukraine and try to understand it. It is hard not to condemn the tourists. But we are quick to condemn at this time – and even quicker to demand others do the same. Perhaps we should not be so righteous, and we should resist the urge to easily condemn, from our homes in what <a href="https://www.mup.com.au/books/after-mabo-paperback-softback">Tim Rowse has called</a> the “ongoing colonial encounter sometimes called ‘Australia’”. Indigenous people here speak of the lack of memorials on this land. But every bordered property is a site for dark tourism in Australia. Dark tourism is the effort to seek out destinations of violence and devastation, but it is not hard to see genocide from our front door in this country.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240119/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/juliet-rogers-333488">Juliet Rogers</a>, Associate Professor Criminology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dark-tourism-is-attracting-visitors-to-war-zones-and-sites-of-atrocities-in-israel-and-ukraine-why-240119">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

War in Ukraine affected wellbeing worldwide, but people’s speed of recovery depended on their personality

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luke-smillie-7502">Luke Smillie</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> The war in Ukraine has had impacts around the world. <a href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/ripple-effects-russia-ukraine-war-test-global-economies">Supply chains</a> have been disrupted, the <a href="https://news.un.org/pages/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/GCRG_2nd-Brief_Jun8_2022_FINAL.pdf?utm_source=United+Nations&utm_medium=Brief&utm_campaign=Global+Crisis+Response">cost of living</a> has soared and we’ve seen the <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/hk/en/73141-ukraine-fastest-growing-refugee-crisis-in-europe-since-wwii.html">fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II</a>. All of these are in addition to the devastating humanitarian and economic impacts within Ukraine. Our international team was conducting a global study on wellbeing in the lead up to and after the Russian invasion. This provided a unique opportunity to examine the psychological impact of the outbreak of war. As we explain in a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-44693-6">Nature Communications</a>, we learned the toll on people’s wellbeing was evident across nations, not just <a href="https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-023-00598-3">in Ukraine</a>. These effects appear to have been temporary – at least for the average person. But people with certain psychological vulnerabilities struggled to recover from the shock of the war. <h2>Tracking wellbeing during the outbreak of war</h2> People who took part in our study completed a rigorous “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2773515/">experience-sampling</a>” protocol. Specifically, we asked them to report their momentary wellbeing four times per day for a whole month. Data collection began in October 2021 and continued throughout 2022. So we had been tracking wellbeing around the world during the weeks surrounding the outbreak of war in February 2022. We also collected measures of personality, along with various sociodemographic variables (including age, gender, political views). This enabled us to assess whether different people responded differently to the crisis. We could also compare these effects across countries. Our analyses focused primarily on 1,341 participants living in 17 European countries, excluding Ukraine itself (44,894 experience-sampling reports in total). We also expanded these analyses to capture the experiences of 1,735 people living in 43 countries around the world (54,851 experience-sampling reports) – including in Australia. <h2>A global dip in wellbeing</h2> On February 24 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, there was a sharp decline in wellbeing around the world. There was no decline in the month leading up to the outbreak of war, suggesting the change in wellbeing was not already occurring for some other reason. However, there was a gradual increase in wellbeing during the month after the Russian invasion, suggestive of a “return to baseline” effect. Such effects are commonly reported in psychological research: situations and events that impact our wellbeing often (<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237535630_Adaptation_and_the_Set-Point_Model_of_Subjective_Well-BeingDoes_Happiness_Change_After_Major_Life_Events">though not always</a>) do so <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7062343_Beyond_the_Hedonic_Treadmill_Revising_the_Adaptation_Theory_of_Well-Being">temporarily</a>. Unsurprisingly, people in Europe experienced a sharper dip in wellbeing compared to people living elsewhere around the world. Presumably the war was much more salient for those closest to the conflict, compared to those living on an entirely different continent. Interestingly, day-to-day fluctuations in wellbeing mirrored the salience of the war on social media as events unfolded. Specifically, wellbeing was lower on days when there were more tweets mentioning Ukraine on Twitter/X. Our results indicate that, on average, it took around two months for people to return to their baseline levels of wellbeing after the invasion. <h2>Different people, different recoveries</h2> There are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31944795/">strong links</a> between our wellbeing and our individual personalities. However, the dip in wellbeing following the Russian invasion was fairly uniform across individuals. None of the individual factors assessed in our study, including personality and sociodemographic factors, predicted people’s response to the outbreak of war. On the other hand, personality did play a role in how quickly people recovered. Individual differences in people’s recovery were linked to a personality trait called “stability”. Stability is a broad dimension of personality that combines low neuroticism with high agreeableness and conscientiousness (three traits from the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/big-five">Big Five</a> personality framework). Stability is so named because it reflects the stability of one’s overall psychological functioning. This can be illustrated by breaking stability down into its three components: <ol> <li> low neuroticism describes <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2212154120">emotional stability</a>. People low in this trait experience less intense negative emotions such as anxiety, fear or anger, in response to negative events </li> <li> high agreeableness describes <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-63285-010">social stability</a>. People high in this trait are generally more cooperative, kind, and motivated to maintain social harmony </li> <li> high conscientiousness describes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112331">motivational stability</a>. People high in this trait show more effective patterns of goal-directed self-regulation. </li> </ol> So, our data show that people with less stable personalities fared worse in terms of recovering from the impact the war in Ukraine had on wellbeing. In a supplementary analysis, we found the effect of stability was driven specifically by neuroticism and agreeableness. The fact that people higher in neuroticism recovered more slowly accords with a wealth of research linking this trait with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10573882/">coping difficulties</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5428182/">poor mental health</a>. These effects of personality on recovery were stronger than those of sociodemographic factors, such as age, gender or political views, which were not statistically significant. Overall, our findings suggest that people with certain psychological vulnerabilities will often struggle to recover from the shock of global events such as the outbreak of war in Ukraine.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224147/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luke-smillie-7502">Luke Smillie</a>, Professor in Personality Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/war-in-ukraine-affected-wellbeing-worldwide-but-peoples-speed-of-recovery-depended-on-their-personality-224147">original article</a>.

Mind

Young woman jailed for 7 years for swapping price tags at supermarket

A Russian court has convicted an artist to seven years in jail for swapping supermarket price tags with antiwar messages. Sasha Skochilenko, 33, was arrested in St Petersburg and charged with spreading misinformation about the military when she replaced price tags with ones against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The Russian army bombed an arts schools in Mariupol. Some 400 people were hiding in it from the shelling," one read. "Russian conscripts are being sent to Ukraine. Lives of our children are the price of this war," the other said. Her arrest is part of the latest crackdown on free speech, and she was arrested after a customer at the supermarket found the slogans and reported her to authorities. Skochilenko's arrest comes one month after authorities adopted a law that criminalises any public expression about the war that deviates from the official Kremlin line. The legislation is used to crackdown on opposition politicians, human rights activists and ordinary citizens that are critical of the Kremlin. The 33-year-old has not denied replacing the price tags but has rejected the accusation of knowingly spreading false information. She also claimed that she didn't want to criticise the military but wanted to stop the fighting. "She is a very empathetic, peace-loving person. To her, in general, the word 'war' is the most terrible thing imaginable, as is the suffering of people," her lawyer Yana Nepovinnova told The Associated Press last week. "She is a very empathetic, peace-loving person. To her, in general, the word 'war' is the most terrible thing imaginable, as is the suffering of people," Nepovinnova added. According to the Russian independent news site Mediazona, Skochilenko said that the case against her was "weird and ridiculous" in her final statement in court and that even the officials where she was detained at "open their eyes widely and exclaim: 'Is this really what people are being imprisoned for now?'" While addressing the judge in a courtroom full of supporters, Skochilenko also reportedly said that: "Everyone sees and knows that it's not a terrorist you're trying. You're not trying an extremist. You're not trying a political activist, either. You're trying a pacifist." Mediazona also reported that her supporters applauded her and chanted her name when she was led away after the verdict. Nearly 750 people have face criminal charges for their antiwar stances, and over 8100 had petty charges for discrediting the army, which is punishable by a fine or short time in jail. Images: BBC News

Legal

“I didn’t want to come out!”: Spanish mountaineer emerges after 500 days underground

When Spanish mountaineer Beatriz Flamini descended into her cave - and home for the next 500 days - the world was an entirely different place. COVID-19 restrictions were still enforced, Queen Elizabeth II was still alive and on the throne, war hadn’t been declared in Ukraine, and Flamini herself was only 48. She entered the cave on November 20 2021, and while she was forced to surface for eight days while repairs were made to a router - one used for transmitting audio and video - she spent that brief period isolated in a tent. And then, a year and a half later, a 50-year-old Flamini emerged from 230 feet underground outside of Granada, Spain. And while most would be eager for some sunshine and some company after such a stint, Flamini had an entirely different take, informing everyone that she had actually been sound asleep when her team came to collect her. “I thought something had happened,” she said. “I said, ‘already? Surely not.’ I hadn’t finished my book.” And when it came to whether or not she’d struggled while down there, Flamini was quite to declare “never. In fact, I didn’t want to come out!” To keep herself occupied during the marathon stay, Flamini tried her hand at a whole host of popular pastimes, from knitting to exercising, painting, knitting, and reading. The effort paid off, the days flying by as the determined mountaineer successfully lost track of time. “On day 65, I stopped counting and lost perception of time,” she explained. “I didn’t talk to myself out loud, but I had internal conversations and got on very well with myself. “You have to remain conscious of your feelings. If you’re afraid, that’s something natural, but never let panic in, or you get paralysed.” Flamini was given a panic button in case of emergency, but she never felt the need to use it. And while her support team were on hand to give her clean clothing, provide essential food, and remove any waste that had accumulated, they were not to talk to her. “If it’s no communication it’s no communication, regardless of the circumstances,” Flamini said of that particular decision. “The people who know me knew and respected that.” As for what comes next, Flamini will now be studied by a team of experts - psychologists, researchers, and the like - to determine what impact the isolation of her extended time below might have had on her. Images: Getty, Sky News

Travel Trouble

Time announces Person of the Year

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been announced as TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2022, alongside the “spirit of Ukraine”, for “proving that courage can be as contagious as fear”. Editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said the choice was “the most clear-cut in memory” after the announcement was made on Wednesday. “Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, the world marched to Volodymyr Zelensky’s beat in 2022,” he said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> TIME's 2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TIMEPOY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TIMEPOY</a> <a href="https://t.co/06Y5fuc0fG">https://t.co/06Y5fuc0fG</a> <a href="https://t.co/i8ZT3d5GDa">pic.twitter.com/i8ZT3d5GDa</a> — TIME (@TIME) <a href="https://twitter.com/TIME/status/1600470652363866113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2022</a></blockquote> The comedian-turned-politician was elected as the country’s President in 2019 and has been working to rally support among his people and the world at large since the Russian invasion began in February. Zelenskyy’s decision “not to flee Kyiv but to stay and rally support was fateful”, according to Felsenthal. “For proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people and nations to come together in defence of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy — and of peace — Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine are TIME’s 2022 Person of the Year,” he added. The magazine also honoured the people of Ukraine, highlighting engineer Oleg Kutkov - who worked to help keep Ukraine connected - Kyiv Independent editor Olga Rudenko, and David Nott, a British combat surgeon. The annual award, which has sparked debate and controversy over the nearly 100 years since it began, is given to an event or person deemed to have had the most influence on global events each year. Along with Zelenskyy and the spirit of Ukraine, the finalists for this year’s award included protestors in Iran, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and the US Supreme Court. Women in Iran were the magazine’s 2022 Heroes of the Year, while K-pop band Blackpink were deemed the Entertainer of the Year. To see TIME’s full list of recipients for 2022, head <a href="https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2022-volodymyr-zelensky/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: Twitter

News

Banksy in Ukraine: how his defiant new works offer hope

Art, in all its forms, has always been a powerful means of representing, resisting and remembering war. And the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ukraine-recap-poland-missile-scare-a-timely-reminder-of-how-dangerous-this-war-is-for-everyone-194873">Russo-Ukrainian War</a> is no different, with artists responding powerfully to Russian aggression through <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90754784/how-ukrainian-artists-are-resisting-russias-war">an explosion of artwork</a>drawing attention to, and reinforcing, the resilience of Ukrainian people and culture. A stream of artwork has been <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artists.support.ukraine/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=79e6c95a-0a13-4ea9-a4d8-b24ed292d6b2">posted on Instagram</a> and Twitter. Some of the artworks represent grief and trauma, whereas others reflect <a href="https://war.ukraine.ua/articles/how-art-became-a-mirror-of-ukrainian-resistance/">“the fire of hope and defiance that comes with such tragedy.”</a> International artists have also joined in the effort. On November 11, <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/banksy-7818">graffiti artist</a>Banksy <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck1bqL6MsMu/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=">posted a picture</a> to his Instagram of a gymnast doing a handstand, painted on the side of a building devastated by shelling in Borodyanka, Ukraine. A few days later, Banksy <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/11/14/banksy-in-ukraine-seven-new-works-appear-in-war-torn-sites">confirmed</a> that he was responsible for six other artworks in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine, one of which appeared to take aim at Russian president Vladimir Putin, depicting him being thrown by a child in a judo match. It is not much of a stretch to interpret the child as a symbol of Ukrainian resistance. Banksy’s other works are shown in a video posted to Instagram (above) accompanied by a soundtrack of women singing Ukrainian folk music. They show children playing on a seesaw made from part of a tank, a bombed out transport truck, a man taking a bath and a woman in a dressing gown donning a gas mask and holding a fire extinguisher. Ukrainian messages of thanks and solidarity were posted to Banksy’s Instagram in response. <h2>Russia’s war on culture</h2> The destruction of culture and cultural heritage has been among the <a href="https://t.me/mkipu/3093">many alleged crimes</a> committed by Russia in Ukraine. In July 2022, <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-mission-ukraine-assesses-impact-war-culture-sector">Unesco reported</a>damage to over 164 cultural sites including religious sites, museums, historic buildings, buildings dedicated to cultural activities, monuments and libraries. As with so many aspects of the war, this reverberates with the Yugoslav War, where the searing image of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27353635">the destruction of the national library</a> in Sarajevo and its two million books and artefacts in August 1992 was one of the most iconic of the war. An early cultural casualty in Ukraine was the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60588885">Babyn Yar memorial park</a> in Kyiv, believed to have been directly targeted by Russian forces as part of an erasure of Ukrainian history and culture. In response, <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-funds-7-projects-support-artists-ukraine">Unesco committed</a> to the protection of cultural property as a priority. That commitment was based on the conviction that: “Culture is an essential public good for society, and access to cultural life is a basic universal human right.” While art alone cannot change the dynamics or the course of the war in Ukraine, it <a href="https://beyond.ubc.ca/kent-monkman-exhibition/">can play an important role</a> in reinforcing and demonstrating the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjDHkWKt9Ea/">resilience of cultural life</a>. Whether or not it can also play a role in building peace and fostering reconciliation depends on its protection. <h2>Unesco responds to threats to Ukrainian culture</h2> In September, <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-funds-7-projects-support-artists-ukraine?hub=365">Unesco announced</a> a joint initiative with the Ukrainian NGO Museum of Contemporary Art “to encourage the continuation of artistic creation and access to cultural life in Ukraine”. <a href="https://www.unesco.org/sites/default/files/medias/fichiers/2022/09/Ukraine%20and%20MOCA_7%20finalists_Brief%20information.pdf">The fund will</a> initially disburse a total of US$100,000 (£84,000) from the Unesco Heritage Emergency Fund to support seven projects, with ten more to follow. The projects were selected from an open call and include residencies and support for displaced Ukrainian artists in Dnipro and Kharkiv. Unesco described their support of Ukrainian artists as “vital for preserving artistic expression as a basis for social cohesion, community resilience, and our common goal – fighting for freedom and democratic values”. <h2>What role does art play in war?</h2> All of this points to important questions about the <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/03/21/art-in-a-time-of-war">role of art and the responsibility of artists</a> in times of war, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21624887.2021.1875711">artistic representation</a> of war and its horrors, <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315723211/political-street-art-holly-eva-ryan">art and the politics of resistance</a> and the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-journal-of-international-law/article/art-aesthetics-justice-and-reconciliation-what-can-art-do/8965A016EB04B26925F6CF16E1BF65B0">potential role of art</a> in building peace and fostering reconciliation. As historian <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=3ChLAQAACAAJ&dq=War+and+Art,+Reaktion+Books,&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwinntjpoLX7AhWFYcAKHRFgC0wQ6AF6BAgCEAI">Joanna Bourke observed</a> in her book War and Art, art is intrinsically political, whether deliberately so or not. Artists make choices about how they represent war, often invoking “both the bitterness and the vulnerability of modern war”. Banksy’s artwork in Ukraine draws our eye to the devastation wrought by the Russian invasion. By being painted on bombed out buildings, the images reflect how the experience of war disrupt the everyday, juxtaposing the mundane with the extraordinary – a woman in curlers and a dressing gown also wears a gas mask, children play on a tank trap seesaw. Banksy’s intervention was <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/banksy-ukraine-mural-in-town-bombed-by-russia/">warmly welcomed</a> by Ukrainians, “hailed as a symbol of their country’s invincibility” as part of a wider Ukrainian effort to leverage art as a powerful <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/23/the-artists-of-ukraine-find-their-voice-in-a-cry-of-resistance">site of resistance</a> and demonstration of resilience. The extent to which <a href="https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/the_art_of_peace_0419.pdf">art might be able to contribute to peace</a> and reconciliation is a question for later on. It seems quite far removed from the grief, anger and defiance evident in much of the artwork created to date. For now, as the response to Banksy’s artworks demonstrates, art in Ukraine serves as a site of expression, of solidarity and a symbol of resistance. As the Ukrainian government expressed, such works are not only <a href="https://war.ukraine.ua/articles/how-art-became-a-mirror-of-ukrainian-resistance/">“about blood, death, and destruction … but also – about love, support, and hope”.</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/banksy-in-ukraine-how-his-defiant-new-works-offer-hope-194952" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

Banksy unveils new works on destroyed buildings in Ukraine

Banksy has unveiled a series of new artworks on the side of partially destroyed buildings in war-torn Ukraine. The elusive street artist created seven artworks in towns surrounding Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, with Banksy confirming to <a href="https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/11/14/banksy-in-ukraine-seven-new-works-appear-in-war-torn-sites?utm_source=CNN&utm_medium=article">The Art Newspaper</a> that the works did come from him. The first artwork to be identified, which quickly went viral online, shows a female gymnast balancing on a pile of rubble on the side of a building damaged by Russian strikes. The graffiti artist posted three images of the piece Friday on social media, with a simple caption reading "Borodyanka, Ukraine" — an alternative spelling for the town's name. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck1bqL6MsMu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck1bqL6MsMu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Banksy (@banksy)</a> </div> </blockquote> Another artwork depicts a little boy, wearing a martial arts uniform tied with a black belt, flipping a grown man onto his back. Some have connected the image to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose honorary black belt was revoked earlier this year by World Taekwondo, though Banksy has not publicly commented on the image or its meaning. Other murals showed two children using a metal tank trap as a seesaw, and a woman in hair curlers and a gas mask holding a fire extinguisher. The series is the first set of Banksy artworks to pop up since last summer's <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/banksy-goes-on-a-mural-making-spree-in-england">Great British Spraycation</a>, which saw the enigmatic artist leave behind his signature pop art commentary at sites across a number of British coastal towns. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

“When you win, bring it back to Malibu”: Sean Penn loans Oscar to Ukraine

Actor Sean Penn has shown his support for Ukraine in its war with Russia by loaning one of his two Oscars to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him it could stay on one condition: “When you win, bring it back to Malibu”. A video of the encounter between Zelenskyy and Penn, who is making a documentary about the Russian invasion, was shared by Zelenskyy’s office online and described the gift as “a symbol of faith in the victory of our country”. “It will be in Ukraine until the end of the war.” During his most recent visit to Ukraine, Penn told Zelenskyy that every time he leaves he feels “like a traitor”. “But if I know this is here with you then I will feel better and stronger for the fights,” he said before presenting the leader with his award. “When you win, bring it back to Malibu. Because I feel much better knowing there is a piece of me here.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CktdU1RLvIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CktdU1RLvIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Володимир Зеленський (@zelenskiy_official)</a> </div> </blockquote> After initially hesitating, Zelenskyy accepted the statue and quipped: “We have to win, quick.” Wednesday’s meeting, which marked Penn’s third visit to Ukraine since the invasion began, also saw the actor accept an award from Zelenskyy. The Mystic River star was presented with the Ukrainian Order of Merit of the third degree, which is given to citizens for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture or military or political activity. “It was with great pleasure that I presented Sean Penn with the Order of Merit of the III degree,” the caption of the clip shared on Zelenskyy’s official Instagram read. “Thank you for such sincere support and significant contribution to the popularization (sic) of Ukraine in the world!” The video also showed the pair walking around Kyiv and arriving at Constitution Square where there is a “Walk of the Brave” - a walkway lined with plaques for world leaders who have supported Ukraine. Penn also has a plaque laid on the ground along the walkway, engraved with his name and the date February 24, 2022, which was the start of the invasion, as Penn was one of the first people to visit Ukraine after Russian troops moved in. Pointing to the plaque, Penn said there were three sources of pride for him in the world. “The place where my daughter was born, the place where my son was born and this. Thank you,” he said. Image: Getty Images

News

Whether in war-torn Ukraine, Laos or Spain, kids have felt compelled to pick up crayons and put their experiences to paper

“They still draw pictures!” So wrote the editors of an influential collection of children’s art that was <a href="https://www.afsc.org/document/they-still-draw-pictures-1938">compiled in 1938</a> during <a href="https://theconversation.com/ukraines-foreign-fighters-have-little-in-common-with-those-who-signed-up-to-fight-in-the-spanish-civil-war-178976">the Spanish Civil War</a>. Eighty years later, war continues to upend children’s lives in Ukraine, Yemen and elsewhere. In January, UNICEF <a href="https://www.unicef.org/globalinsight/reports/prospects-children-2022-global-outlook">projected</a> that 177 million children worldwide would require assistance due to war and political instability in 2022. This included <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/yemen-crisis">12 million children in Yemen</a>, <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/syrian-crisis">6.5 million in Syria</a> and <a href="https://www.unicef.org/appeals/myanmar">5 million in Myanmar</a>. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 added 7 million more children to this number. To date, more than half of Ukraine’s children <a href="https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children">have been internally or externally displaced</a>. Many more have faced disruptions to education, health care and home life. And yet they, too, still draw pictures. In March, a charity called <a href="https://www.uakids.today/en">UA Kids Today</a>launched, offering a digital platform for kids to respond with art to Russia’s invasion and raise money for aid to Ukrainian families with children. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=7bfZyk8AAAAJ&hl=en">As a scholar who studies</a> the ways wars affect societies’ most vulnerable members, I see much that can be learned from the art created by kids living in war-torn regions across place and time. <h2>A century of children’s art</h2> During <a href="https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/boer-war">the Boer War</a> – a conflict waged from 1899 to 1902 between British troops and South African guerrilla forces – relief workers sought to teach orphaned girls the art of <a href="https://blogs.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/archivesandmanuscripts/2017/08/24/the-archive-of-emily-hobhouse-now-available/">lace-making</a>. During World War I, displaced children in Greece and Turkey learned to weave textiles and decorate pottery <a href="https://neareastmuseum.com/2015/08/13/every-stitch-a-story-near-east-industries/">as a means of making a living</a>. Over time, expression has replaced subsistence as the driver of children’s wartime artwork. No longer pressed to sell their productions, children are instead urged to put their emotions and experiences on display for the world to see. Novelist <a href="https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/novemberdecember/feature/the-talented-mr-huxley">Aldous Huxley</a> hinted at this goal in his introduction to the 1938 collection of Spanish Civil War art. Whether showing “explosions, the panic rush to shelter, [or] the bodies of victims,” <a href="https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/tsdp/frame.html">Huxley wrote</a>, these drawings revealed “a power of expression that evokes our admiration for the childish artists and our horror at the elaborate bestiality of modern war.” <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/herbert-read">Herbert Read</a>, a World War I veteran and educational theorist, organized another show of children’s art during World War II. Unlike Huxley, Read found that scenes of war did not dominate the drawings he collected from British schoolchildren, even those exposed to the London Blitz. In a pamphlet for the exhibition, he highlighted “the sense of beauty and the enjoyment of life which they have expressed.” While the shows discussed by Read and Huxley differed in many ways, both men emphasized the form and composition of children’s artwork as much as their pictorial contents. Both also expressed the view that the creators of these drawings would play a critical role in the rebuilding of their war-torn communities. <h2>A political tool</h2> As with the children’s war art made during Huxley and Read’s time, the images coming out of Ukraine express a mix of horror, fear, hope and beauty. While planes, rockets and explosions appear in many of the pictures uploaded by <a href="https://www.uakids.today/en">UA Kids Today</a>, so do flowers, angels, Easter bunnies and peace signs. The managers of this platform – who are refugees themselves – have not been able to mount a physical exhibition of these works. But artists and curators elsewhere are beginning to do so. In Sarasota, Florida, artist Wojtek Sawa <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/new-sarasota-exhibit-features-artwork-of-ukrainian-children-coping-with-war">has opened a show</a> of Ukrainian children’s art that will be used to collect donations and messages from visitors. These will later be distributed to displaced children in Poland. <a href="https://warchildhood.org/">The War Childhood Museum</a>, based in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, had recently concluded traveling exhibitions in Kyiv and Kherson when the Russian invasion started. The museum’s managing director, who has <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-crimes-schools-d1e52368aced8b3359f4436ca7180811">spoken</a> out strongly about the need for cultural heritage protection in war, was able to retrieve several dozen artifacts from these shows a few days before the fighting commenced. Those toys and drawings, which tell the story of children’s experience during Russia’s previous effort to gain control of the Donbas region in 2014, <a href="https://warchildhood.org/2022/02/24/updates-from-ukraine/">will be featured</a> in shows opening elsewhere in Europe in 2022. By capturing the attention of journalists and the public, these exhibitions have been used to raise awareness, solicit funds and inspire commentary. However, children’s art from Ukraine has not yet played a role in political deliberations, as it did when peace activist Fred Branfman shared his collection of drawings by Laotian children and adults <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/us/fred-branfman-laos-activist-dies-at-72.html">during his 1971 testimony</a> before Congress on the “<a href="https://legaciesofwar.org/about-laos/secret-war-laos/">Secret War</a>” the U.S. had been conducting in Laos since 1964. Nor is it yet clear whether this art will play a part in future war crimes trials, as the art of Auschwitz-Birkenau internee Yahuda Bacon <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/01/25/for-child-survivors-drawing-is-therapy-and-a-tool-of-justice">did during</a> the 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann. <h2>Windows into different worlds</h2> Art historians <a href="https://www.massey.ac.nz/%7Ealock/hbook/bremner.htm">once thought</a> children’s drawings, no matter where they lived, revealed the world in a way that was unshaped by cultural conventions. But I don’t believe that children in all countries and conflicts represent their experiences in the same way. The drawings of children imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during World War II are not formally or symbolically interchangeable with drawings made by children exposed to America’s bombing campaign in Laos. Nor can these be interpreted in the same way as images produced by Ukrainian, Yemeni, Syrian or Sudanese children today. To me, one of the most valuable features of children’s art is its power to highlight unique aspects of everyday life in distant places, while conveying a sense of what can be upended, lost or destroyed. A Laotian child’s <a href="https://legaciesofwar.org/programs/national-traveling-exhibition/illustrations-narratives/">drawing</a> of a horse that “ran back to the village” from the rice field after its owner was killed by a bomb offers a small window into the lives of subsistence rice farmers. The desert landscapes and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-30/yemen-s-historic-tower-houses-are-under-threat">urban architecture</a> of Yemen are equally distinctive, and Yemeni children’s drawings highlight those differences even as they express aspirations that viewers around the world may share. <h2>The challenges of preservation</h2> As an academic who has also worked in museums, I am always thinking about how artifacts from today’s conflicts will be preserved for exhibition in the future. There are significant challenges to preserving the drawings and paintings young people produce. First, children’s art is materially unstable. It is often made on paper, with crayons, markers and other ephemeral media. This makes it dangerous to display originals and demands care in the production of facsimiles. Second, children’s art is often hard to contextualize. The first-person commentaries that accompanied some of the Spanish Civil War drawings and most of the Laotian images <a href="https://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/tsdp/frame.html">often provide</a> details about children’s localized experience but rarely about the timing of events, geographic locations or other crucial facts. Finally, much children’s war art suffers from uncertain authorship. With few full names recorded, it is hard to trace the fates of most child artists, nor is it generally possible to gather their adult reflections on their childhood creations. By noting these complications, I don’t want to detract from the remarkable fact that children still draw pictures during war. Their expressions are invaluable for documenting war and its impact, and it’s important to study them. Nevertheless, in researching children’s art, it is necessary to reflect that scholars and curators are – like the child artists themselves – often working at the limits of their knowledge. Image credits: Instagram This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/whether-in-war-torn-ukraine-laos-or-spain-kids-have-felt-compelled-to-pick-up-crayons-and-put-their-experiences-to-paper-181458" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

"Backbone of our unit": Tributes pour in for Aussie medic killed in Ukraine

A young Aussie medic from Queensland has been killed by Russian artillery fire in the Ukraine, leaving his family mourning the tragic loss of their son. 27-year-old Jed William Danahay, from the rural town of East Nanango was killed in Eastern Ukraine on August 24 – with his death confirmed by the Department of Foregin Affairs – while working as a combat medic, assisting frontline troops when they were injured. At the time, Danahay was driving the medical vehicle when he was targeted by Russian forces and subsequently caught in an artillery attack. The family of the victim, his two older brothers and parents, have described his incredible character and desire to help others. “Jed lived his life trying to help other people, in his short time on this earth Jed did more things than most of us will ever do in a lifetime,” the Danahay family said in a statement. They described his adventurous nature, which led him on many journeys around the world. “Jed died doing what he believed in, helping people who needed it. He was at his heart an optimist and always believed that things should be better. “Jed’s comrades in Ukraine described him as the backbone of their unit, a hero and someone who they could all trust their lives to. “He will be missed dearly by his friends and family.” The family concluded by saying if anyone wants to help, they encourage them to support the Ukrainian people. Image: DFAT

Caring

"If we stop communicating, Putin wins. Propaganda wins": how a Norwegian organisation is supporting Russian protest art

As an international student at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow in 2012, I remember studying Rekviem (requiem) by Russian poet <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/anna-akhmatova">Anna Ahkmatova</a>, an elegy she penned in secret as a tribute to the countless victims of Stalin’s murderous purges. Akhmatova’s writing revived the atrocities, delivering their darkness into the light. Her words spoke of constant fear permeating lives; of distrust, anxiety and betrayal; of the secret police arriving to drag you or your family away. To avoid detection and retribution, Ahkmatova whispered the poem to her friends who committed it to memory. She burned the incriminating scraps of paper. In the first four-and-a-half months following Putin’s attack against Ukraine, over 13,000 anti-war protesters <a href="https://ovdinfo.org/articles/2022/03/07/cracked-heads-and-tasers-results-march-6th-anti-war-protests">were detained</a> in Russia. Some estimates are that <a href="https://meduza.io/feature/2022/05/07/skolko-lyudey-uehalo-iz-rossii-iz-za-voyny-oni-uzhe-nikogda-ne-vernutsya-mozhno-li-eto-schitat-ocherednoy-volnoy-emigratsii">hundreds of thousands</a> fled Russia in early 2022, among them thousands of artists who no longer felt safe in the climate of increasing censorship. Some of these artists have found themselves in Kirkenes, a small Norwegian town 15 kilometres from the Russian border. <h2>Russia’s protest art</h2> Russian and Soviet artists have a long history of art as protest. The poem <a href="https://poets.org/poem/stalin-epigram">Stalin’s Epigram</a> (1933) authored by <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/osip-mandelstam">Osip Mandelstam</a> depicted Stalin as a gleeful killer. Authorities imprisoned and tortured Mandelstam, then deported the poet to a remote village near the Ural Mountains. After returning from exile, he persisted writing about Stalin until he was sent to a labour camp in Siberia, where he died in 1938 at the age of 47. Under the comparatively liberal rule of Stalin’s successor <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/131346?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">Nikita Khrushchev</a> from 1953, the Soviet Union began to enjoy previously unimagined freedoms. Protest art reflected these newfound liberties, becoming increasingly provocative and experimental. Many famous art movements surfaced during this period, including <a href="https://www.moscowart.net/art.html?id=SotsArt">Sots Art</a> — a fusion between Soviet and Pop Art — as Russian artists tested the boundaries, exposing the grim realities and unhappiness of life under Stalin’s regime. In 1962, the legendary composer Shostakovich set his <a href="https://theconversation.com/decoding-the-music-masterpieces-shostakovichs-babi-yar-82819">13th symphony</a> to a series of poems by his contemporary, Yevgeny Yevtushenko. One of these poems was Babi Yar, which criticised the Soviet government for concealing the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/babi-yar-ukraine-massacre-holocaust-180979687/">massacre of 33,371 Jews</a> in a mass grave outside Kyiv. In contemporary Russia, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/10/world/europe/pussy-riot-russia-escape.html">Pussy Riot</a> came to the attention of the world in 2012 when members stepped behind the altar in Moscow’s golden-domed Christ the Saviour Cathedral wearing neon-coloured balaclavas to deliver a “punk rock prayer”. Their voices echoed off the cavernous, hand-painted ceilings, raging against Putin’s affiliation with the Orthodox church and the homophobic, anti-feminist policies that followed. They were sentenced to two years imprisonment. Today, <a href="https://artreview.com/amidst-a-crackdown-russia-anti-war-artists-and-activists-try-to-reclaim-the-streets/">pictures from Russia</a> reveal anonymous anti-war graffiti on the sides of buildings, “no war” chiselled into a frozen river, and yellow and blue chrysanthemums and tulips left at the feet of Soviet war memorials. <h2>Cross-border collaborations</h2> <a href="https://www.pikene.no/">Pikene på Broen</a> (girls on the bridge) is an arts collective based in Kirkenes. They have spent the past 25 years curating art projects to promote cross-cultural collaboration and tackle political problems in the borderland region. Pikene på Broen is host to the the annual art festival <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barents_Sea">Barents</a> Spektakel (spectacle), an international artist residency including Russian, Norwegian and Finnish creatives, the gallery and project space Terminal B in Kirkenes town, and the debate series Transborder Café. The venue has become a hub for open discussions relating to current political and cultural issues, drawing contributions from artists, musicians, writers, politicians and researchers. Evgeny Goman, an independent theatre director from Murmansk, Russia – about 200 kilometres from Kirkenes – has been collaborating with Pikene på Broen for over 10 years. After moving to Norway in early 2022, Pikene på Broen worked with Goman to organise Kvartirnik (from the word kvartira, meaning apartment), an online talk group for Russian and Norwegian artists to exchange ideas. Following Putin’s attack on Ukraine, Kvartirnik shifted to an underground movement for dissident artists. Ironically, the name Kvartirnik derives from the clandestine concerts arranged <a href="https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/college-study-abroad/blog/ciee-kvartirnik-understanding-through-music">in people’s apartments</a> during the Soviet Era when musicians were banned from performing in public. <a href="http://deadrevolution.tilda.ws/?fbclid=IwAR2PcaqY7VdLtS1zYUu4JCbD6F36KZ8JKv_FEIYsNeSTE4aKokhV7YpITas">Party of the Dead</a> is one of several Russian protest art groups who participated in Kvartirnik. Pictures from the snow-decked Piskaryovskoye Cemetery in Saint Petersburg reveal members dressed as skeletons, holding placards reading: “are there not enough corpses?”. I spoke with Goman about the art coming out of Kvartirnik today. “In peaceful times, art is more about entertaining,” he says. "But in war and conflict, art is more important because it’s the language we use to express our pain. And through metaphors and symbolism, it allows us to speak about things that are censored." <h2>Countering propaganda</h2> Kvartirnik collaborators in Murmansk have also produced and distributed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samizdat">Samizdat</a> (self-publishing), an anonymous newsletter containing art suppressed by the state. “We have to be really smart now about how we do things in Russia,” Goman says. “Subtle.” Goman is pessimistic about Russia’s future. But he believes the key to moving forward is keeping communication open. He tells me the West’s decision to <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/03/right-way-cancel-russia/627115/">ban Russian culture</a> has backfired on their plan to pressure Putin into ending the war against Ukraine. Instead, he says, the divide is steadily increasing, leaving dissident artists isolated inside a country operating on fear and propaganda, furthering Putin’s agenda. “Putin wants us to not affect Russian minds. And that’s why we have to keep the dialogue going,” he says of the importance of cross-border collaborations like those he has undertaken in Kirkenes. "If we stop communicating, Putin wins. Propaganda wins." Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-we-stop-communicating-putin-wins-propaganda-wins-how-a-norwegian-organisation-is-supporting-russian-protest-art-186911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Art

“We will miss you brother”: Kiwi soldier killed in Ukraine identified

A New Zealand soldier who died in Ukraine fighting alongside other foreign troops in the International Legion has been remembered by fellow soldiers as “strong, hardcore and handsome”. Corporal Dominic Abelen was fighting on the frontline in the east of Ukraine while on leave away from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and not on active duty, as reported by the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-in-ukraine/M45ZWJEZ47I2Z5XD4Q44KNJFD4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. The 30-year-old soldier was based at Burnham Military Camp, outside Christchurch, with the Royal New Zealand Regiment’s 2nd/1st Battalion. “At this early stage, there is still more information to be gathered in order to understand the circumstances fully,” the NZDF said in a statement. Brigadier Rose King, the Acting Chief of Army, said <a href="https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/further-details-released-on-nzdf-soldier-reportedly-killed-in-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a statement</a> that their efforts would be concentrated on supporting Abelen’s family and NZDF personnel. “Any loss of one of our whānau (‘family’) is deeply felt across the New Zealand Defence Force. We are concentrating our efforts on supporting Corporal Abelen’s loved ones and our personnel as they grieve,” she said. His family have requested not to be approached by the media, with his father, Bryce, sharing a statement with the NZDF. “Dominic was in the New Zealand Army for 10 years but never got to fight for his country,” Bryce said. “He didn't tell us he was going to Ukraine until he was there. He knew we would talk him out of it. He also knew the risks of going there but still went to fight for them. “That is Dominic, always thinking of helping others. “We understand why he went and hold no grudge against the NZ or Ukraine Army and fully support what he did. “Dominic loved being in the army, the life-long friends he made there. “There has been relentless support from half the Burnham Military Camp that knew him, as well as personnel from overseas. “A kind, gentle man with the most infectious smile that you couldn't help but smile back. “He had a love of the outdoors and did a lot of tramping. He spent his holidays travelling around New Zealand and the world. “I'm extremely proud of my children and especially Dominic for standing up and doing what he thought was right. He leaves a massive hole in all our hearts.” Abelen’s siblings describing him as “the most amazing human being”, the “buffest” member of their family, and that he had “the biggest heart to match”. A former NZDF soldier who is also fighting with Ukraine’s International Legion paid tribute to his fallen comrade, describing him as “a warrior until the end”. “The bro was anything but scenery. Strong, hardcore, handsome but extremely humble,” he wrote online. “Best believe he died doing what he loved and was extremely good at. “We will miss you brother. So much. You have left a hole that we are feeling and we could never hope to fill.” Sources have since told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/russia-ukraine-war-off-duty-new-zealand-soldier-dominic-abelen-killed-fighting-re-taking-trench-in-ukraine/26EVXCDFPOAROXLSARVPKIZSQU/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald</a> that Abelen was involved in a joint operation to retake the frontline of a trench network and was instantly killed in a firefight during a dawn assault. Another American fighter is also said to have died. Defence Minister Peeni Henare expressed his condolences to Abelen’s family, friends, and colleagues. “I have been advised the New Zealand Army are supporting the soldier’s family through this difficult time,” he said. Tenby Powell, the former commanding officer of the NZDF who is currently in Ukraine undertaking humanitarian work, said he was asked by Abelen’s family to bring him home. Though he didn’t go into the details surrounding the soldier’s death, he told Today FM that the family were distraught. “It’s a very sad day here in Ukraine, not just for New Zealanders but for everyone,” Powell said. “I’ve talked to a family member they have asked me and I have agreed to go and get him. We need to do this in a very respectful and expedient manner. I have given the family my assurances that he will be well looked after all the way back. “The critically-important thing is to ensure that he is recovered and brought back in a way where he is looked after for the entire trip back to New Zealand.” Powell intended to drape the New Zealand flag over the coffin for the trip home and ensure that Abelen had all the care a person serving in the defence force warranted. Abelen would be taken first through Warsaw, then Ukraine and on to New Zealand. “We are determined to bring him out. He will come out and he will be looked after all the way,” Powell said. The soldier’s passing comes after the New Zealand government announced that a further 120 NZDF personnel would be sent to Britain to help train Ukrainian soldiers, on top of the 30 personnel deployed in May. "New Zealand has been clear that we will continue to answer the call of Ukraine for practical support as they defend their homeland and people against Russia's unjustified invasion," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on August 15. "We know that one of the highest priorities for Ukraine right now, is to train its soldiers, and New Zealand is proud to stand in solidarity alongside a number of other countries to answer that call." Image: NZDF

Caring

Ukrainian refugees living “better than they dreamed” on Scottish cruise ship

More than 100 Ukrainian refugees arriving in Scotland are calling a cruise ship in Edinburgh their new home, with those aboard praising the extensive amenities and nods to their home country. Families began moving onto the MS Victoria at the end of July, which can host up to 1,700 people and includes restaurants, children’s play areas, shops, a laundry, support services and free Wi-Fi among its onboard amenities. Though that might be standard fare for cruise passengers, there have been some extra touches made to help those onboard feel more at home. Nikol Bilous told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-62346573" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC Scotland</a> the ship came with access to Ukrainian TV channels, which came as a surprise since “you never find that when you go on holiday”. "All the signs are in Ukrainian on the ship and most of the staff are Ukrainian,” the 19-year-old said. "And last night we had Borscht beetroot soup, our national dish, we couldn't believe it. "The conditions on the ship are better than we could have dreamed of and we are very grateful to the Scottish people for this accommodation.” Bilous added that there were also cinemas and theatres on board, but there were issues with the lights which haven’t worked after the Covid lockdowns. “But we don't need entertainment and were very surprised they were trying to do all this for us," she said. "Edinburgh Council has been on board all the time answering any questions we have, so we have felt 100% supported. "The rooms are quite small but they are perfect and we are very happy and grateful." Since the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/russian-invasion-of-ukraine-imminent-what-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian invasion of Ukraine began</a> earlier this year, more than 10,500 people have travelled from Ukraine to Scotland. The Scottish government says that new arrivals are met with a network of “welcome hubs”, moving into temporary accommodation such as the MS Victoria or a hotel until alternative housing is arranged. The MS Victoria is docked at all times and guarded, with residents able to arrive and leave whenever they like. Other families, including Tanya Munawar, her husband Khashif, and their five-year-old daughter Marcia, told the BBC they were given “a very warm welcome” when they arrived in Scotland and hoped to settle in the local area. "I'm an immigration consultant and since we arrived here on 26 July I have been trying to find us accommodation to rent and a job,” Khashif said. "I've been applying to hotels to be a housekeeping supervisor. We plan to stay here and work. It really helps that we can speak English. "My daughter is small and is feeling good, as long as she is with her parents she won't be affected by this." Image: Marko Stampehl (AS Tallink Group)

Cruising

Ukraine’s first lady sparks controversy with Vogue cover

Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s First Lady, has sparked backlash after she appeared on a new ‘digital cover’ of <a href="http://v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vogue</a> with her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, amid the ongoing war with Russia. The accompanying article, titled ‘Portrait of Bravery’, was created in collaboration between Ukrainian Vogue and the Conde Nast Vogues, featuring moody, graceful portraits of the First Lady taken by Annie Leibovitz, including one where she stands next to female soldiers at Antonov Airport. Unlike her 2019 debut on the magazine’s cover, where she was styled in brands such as Prada, Lemaire and Jimmy Choo, this year’s feature sees her exclusively wear Ukrainian designers and a focus on the pain and trauma her country is currently experiencing. With Vogue’s historical connections to elitism, wealth and frivolity, the sombre tone and focus on the realities of war in Ms Zelenska’s latest feature has prompted backlash from some who have labelled it as tasteless. “While Ukraine is going through hell, Vogue is doing a photoshoot for the President & his wife,” columnist Amrita Bhinder wrote on <a href="https://twitter.com/amritabhinder/status/1552215355288088577" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>. US Republican <a href="https://twitter.com/MayraFlores2022/status/1552267933501489152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayra Flores</a>, a representative from Texas, was among a number of conservatives who jumped on the opportunity to attack the Biden administration for supporting Ukraine financially, insinuating it was funding vanity, as reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/28/style/olena-zelenska-vogue.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> wartime vogue photo shoots. very serious. let’s keep sending ukraine weekly billion dollar aid packages to protect “democracy.” don’t question it. <a href="https://t.co/MXVaW16K0y">pic.twitter.com/MXVaW16K0y</a> — Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) <a href="https://twitter.com/loganclarkhall/status/1552009719509925888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2022</a></blockquote> Others defended Ms Zelenska, arguing the photoshoot was a symbol for national pride and a means of raising awareness of the struggles facing Ukraine to audiences that might otherwise not be reached. Supporters included Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian MP, who tweeted that Ms Zelenska’s interview with Vogue was “about duty, keeping sane and staying together”. “It’s about personal strength. It’s about what being Ukrainian is really like,” she continued. “It’s about what #Ukraine needs.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The Zelensky <a href="https://twitter.com/voguemagazine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@voguemagazine</a> interview is a true story of one family, of a couple who woke up in war 150 days ago. It’s about duty, keeping sane and staying together. It’s about personal strength. It’s about what being Ukrainian is really like. It’s about what <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> needs <a href="https://t.co/lr2rgx4UOd">pic.twitter.com/lr2rgx4UOd</a> — Lesia Vasylenko (@lesiavasylenko) <a href="https://twitter.com/lesiavasylenko/status/1552402194707746817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2022</a></blockquote> When asked about why she decided to appear on Vogue, Ms Zelenska told the <a href="https://twitter.com/LucyHockingsBBC/status/1552711694790557702" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> it was about speaking to people directly. “Millions read Vogue, and to be able to speak to them direct, that was my duty,” she said. “I believe it is more important to do something and be criticised for it than to do nothing.” Image: British Vogue (Instagram)

Beauty & Style

Albanese announces $100 million in military aid for Ukraine, pledging support for ‘as long as it takes’

Australia has given Ukraine another $A100 million in military aid, and Anthony Albanese has pledged Australia will continue support for the embattled country “for as long as it takes for Ukraine to emerge victorious”. Albanese inspected devastated areas in and around the capital Kyiv, going to the towns of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, and met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a visit that winds up his trip to Europe. But he did not say when Australia might reopen its embassy in the war-torn country. He has indicated Australia wants to do so as soon as possible, depending on security advice. Albanese, who travelled by train from Poland into Ukraine, met with Zelenskyy for two hours on Sunday, and they held a joint news conference. The latest military aid brings to about $388 million Australia’s total military assistance to Ukraine. Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to Ukraine’s defence. The new package includes: <ul> <li> miliitary aid worth $99.5 million including 14 armoured personnel carriers, 20 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles and other equipment supplied by Australia’s defence industry, plus a contribution to NATO’s Ukraine assistance fund </li> <li> $8.7 million to help upgrade border management equipment, improve cyber security and enhance border operations </li> <li> duty free access for Ukrainian imports to Australia, complementing similar trade measures taken by other countries </li> <li> Australian intervention at the International Court of Justice to support Ukraine’s case against Russia </li> <li> financial sanctions and travel bans on 16 more Russian ministers and oligarchs </li> <li> prohibition of imports of Russian gold to Australia – again in line with partner countries. </li> </ul> “Russia’s brutal invasion is a gross violation of international law,” said Albanese. “I saw first-hand the devastation and trauma it has inflicted on the people of Ukraine.” “My visit to Kyiv and recent visits by other world leaders sends a clear message that democratic nations like Australia will stand side-by-side with the Ukrainian people in their time of need. "President Zelenskyy’s leadership has rallied the Ukrainian people to defend their country and inspired the world to support humanity and freedom. The road ahead is hard but I am confident Ukraine will prevail.” The prime minister described Ukraine as fighting for the international rule of law. “We saw residential buildings that have been the subject of brutal assault from missiles and other weapons,” he said. “Clearly civilian areas have been targeted by Russian forces as part of this illegal and amoral war.” This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-announces-100-million-in-military-aid-for-ukraine-pledging-support-for-as-long-as-it-takes-186291" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: Twitter

International Travel

Anthony Albanese makes historic visit to war-torn Ukraine

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, and pledged to bolster Australia's military aid to the war-torn country. After visiting liberated regions of Kyiv where residential apartments were bombed, the Prime Minister said Australia stood ready to support the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. “This is a war crime,” Mr Albanese said. “Here we have what’s clearly a residential building. Another one just behind it, brutally assaulted.” “These are homes and these are livelihoods and indeed lives that have been lost here in this town,” Mr Albanese said. “And the fact that you had such a significant force – you can see the use of tanks, missiles, heavy artillery being used in a civilian area — it’s just devastating.” Mr Albanese, who visited amid tight security and a media blackout among travelling Australian media for security reasons, also spoke at a press conference alongside Zelensky as the Prime Minister promised to provide Ukraine with 14 more armoured personnel carriers, 20 more Bushmaster vehicles and drones. This extra $100 million in aid is and increase to the $285 million in military assistance, which includes 40 Bushmasters, and $60 million in humanitarian assistance previously announced by the Morrison government. “Australia stands ready to continue to support the Government and the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to emerge victorious in defence of your national sovereignty and your homeland,” Mr Albanese told Mr Zelensky. “Because you are fighting for the international rule of law, you are fighting for international rules in which we conduct our activity to be respected and to occur in an orderly way.” Mr Zelensky welcomed the pledge of additional military support. “I am pleased to welcome Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese to Kyiv. This is the first visit of the Australian Prime Minister to our capital in the history of our state relations. We appreciate and are grateful for your presence here with us at this time – the war of Russia against the Ukrainian people,” he said Mr Albanese had been planning the trip to Ukraine for some time, as the Ukrainian government offered a formal invitation. Albanese said, “One of the reasons why Australia has been invited to NATO is that Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to give support to Ukraine in its defence of its national sovereignty against Russia’s illegal, immoral invasion, and we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine.” Image credits: Getty Images

News

Lisa Wilkinson apologises for "disgusting" comment

Lisa Wilkinson has been forced to apologise after she sparked outrage for an on-air comment, where she suggested the conflict between Ukraine and Russia could be resolved with a soccer match. The Project co-host joked that war-torn Ukraine and the invading Russia could make peace over a game of football during Thursday night’s episode, as reported by <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/project-cohost-apologises-for-offending-viewers-with-disgusting-suggestion/news-story/1d63ad4a032fc67daa5b2c02e6e8e00e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “They should just have one game, Russia versus Ukraine, and we can settle a war,” Lisa joked. Though co-hosts Waleed Aly, Peter Helliar and Tony Armstrong laughed off the comment in a light-hearted segment, some viewers took to social media to share their anger over the comment. “Your comments about Russian war in Ukraine are disgusting,” one viewer tweeted. “Sometimes it is wise to think before opening your mouth. Complaint sent to Channel 10.” “Your comment was super stupid and thoughtless,” another wrote. “Only if we could of (sic) ended other conflicts in the same way, a baseball game between USA and Japan to end WW2 perhaps? It’s clear you don’t understand the complexities of the horrors of war.” “How insensitive to make a comment like that after all the atrocities,” a third added. Lisa has since apologised to a follower on Instagram who was offended, and has clarified her stance on the conflict. “My sincere apologies, it was not meant to offend,” she wrote. “I hope the many, many other comments I have made over the last four months have made it clear that my feelings on the tragedy of the despicable acts perpetrated by Russia in this war would make that clear. “Again, if not, my sincere apologies for any offence taken.” Since February, thousands of Ukrainians have died and millions have been displaced, with entire towns being completely destroyed by Russian troops and many forced to leave the country as refugees as a result. Lisa’s comment comes after Ukraine’s soccer team lost to Wales on Sunday in their second official match since the invasion, dashing their chances of qualifying for the World Cup. Ukraine’s domestic league has also been called off for the season following the loss. In the wake of the invasion, Russia’s team was barred from playing by FIFA. Image: Channel 10

News

Meet the experts working to preserve Ukraine’s cultural history

As the war in Ukraine wages on, officials are growing increasingly concerned about the preservation of the country’s art history and cultural heritage. As historic museums and buildings are being bombed by the Russian offensive, while precious artefacts are being stolen and looted. "We have museum buildings destroyed, with all collections turned into ashes — it's quite a barbaric situation," curator and art historian Konstantin Akinsha tells <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-roundtable/13821526">ABC RN's Sunday Extra.</a> "[The] other side of the problem is that in little towns which are occupied by Russians, we have the first cases of random looting of museums." Recently, Scythian gold artefacts dating back to the fourth century BC were stolen from a museum in the southern Ukraine town of Melitopol. Officials in Ukraine said Russian soldiers were accompanied by an unknown expert "in a white coat", who carefully extracted the ancient gold artefacts from cardboard boxes hidden in the museum's cellar. "This is one of the largest and most expensive collections in Ukraine, and today we don't know where they took it," Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov said at the time. Mr Akinsha, who is an expert on the cultural destruction of World War II, says he is now “reliving” what he learned during his studies “in real time”. He has been in contact with many curators and artists throughout the conflict, and reports that many museums have been unable to evacuate their collections in time. Moving them outside of Ukraine would be highly political and would require permission from national authorities. This has meant some of those looking after art have been forced to pack up the collections and live in the museums' cellars. According to Ukraine officials, more than 250 cultural institutions have been damaged or destroyed since the conflict began in February. Since the start of the war, members of the ALIPH Foundation, an international alliance that works to protect cultural heritage both during and post conflict, has been helping cultural heritage professionals and museum directors in the Ukraine. They have sent crates, packing material and fireproof blankets to institutions to help protect collections and respond to their needs. "The storage facilities themselves need to be up to standard … [they] need to have proper humidity control, be away from the elements and the packing boxes need to be of a certain calibre in order to protect the artefacts because these artefacts are, of course, precious and fragile," said Sandra Bialystok, the communications and partnerships officer for ALIPH Foundation. Despite the huge challenge of protecting these cultural works, Konstantin Akinsha said their preservation is uniting the people of Ukraine. "In individual towns and villages attacked by Russians and occupied by Russians, people are trying to save objects from the local museums, hiding them in their houses," he says. "Because for them, this heritage is extremely important – it's part of their life.” Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Piers Morgan slams Ukraine’s “sympathy” Eurovision win

Piers Morgan has slammed the winners of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, claiming the act from Ukraine won on a “sympathy vote”. The rap group Kalush Orchestra were crowned winners of the annual contest for their song Stefania, with Morgan claiming that their musical talent was not considered in the voting process, but rather that their country is under attack. In a Twitter post, the 57-year-old broadcaster wrote, “Nobody who voted for Ukraine thought it was the best song because it obviously wasn’t anywhere near the best. Even Ukrainians don’t think it was the best song.” “They got the sympathy vote, which is fine as long as we drop the word ‘contest’ from Eurovision.” Morgan also suggested that the contest is a “rigged farce” and suggested Ukraine would have won due to the highly publicised invasion by Russia, regardless of their act. He added in a separate tweet, “The world’s most absurd, pointless, politically-motivated ‘contest’ excels itself. Ukraine could have sent one of its heroic bomb-sniffing dogs to bark the national anthem and still won. Happy for them, but please let’s stop calling #Eurovision a contest... it’s a rigged farce.” Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk thinks that their winning song, which pays tribute to his mother, has been redefined as a rallying cry for Ukraine amid the devastating conflict with Russia. He said, “After it all started with the war and the hostilities, it took on additional meaning, and many people started seeing it as their mother, Ukraine, in the meaning of the country.” “It has become really close to the hearts of so many people in Ukraine.” Image credits: Getty Images

Music

Adorable Jack Russell becomes a Ukraine war hero

Originally bought as a pet, the life of Patron the Ukrainian Jack Russell was turned upside down when Russia invaded the country in Feburary. Instead of days snuggled with his owner, two-year-old Patron (which means “cartridge” or “shell” in Ukraine) was trained to sniff out bombs, missiles and other explosive weapons. To date, he has sniffed out more than 150 devices, and saved countless lives in the process. Dressed in his signature State Emergency Service’s vest, Patron works with his owner Misha, from Chernihiv, northern Ukraine. He has appeared on the social media accounts of the country’s SES, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine. Misha originally bought Patron from a colleague as a gift for his son, however he was formally trained to find traces of gunpowder one month into the invasion. Once he’s detected the scent, Patron alerts Misha, who is then able to defuse the explosive. “[Patron] works 24/7, as does a group of pyrotechnicians, and it will take about a year-and-a-half to clean up the city,” Misha said. “He can inspire anyone with his appearance and eyes.” The little dog’s energy is so infectious that he’s even found an enthusiastic international following, with a line of merchandise which includes stickers on Red Bubble and T-shirts from Support Ukraine. The Jack Russell is one of more than 600 de-miners working across Ukraine to dismantle the mines, bombs and missiles left by Russia soldiers. Patron’s Instagram boasts more than 187,000 followers, with his dedicated fans sharing drawings of him. Images: Instagram

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