Stone embroideries of Nova Kakhovka under occupation: Russia's crime against Ukrainian cultural heritage

In his diaries, filmmaker Oleksandr Dovzhenko wrote that this is the main city of Ukraine that will tell the story of the country to the whole world. A few decades later, his words became prophetic. Since February 24, 2022, Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region has been under temporary Russian occupation. However, the ornamental decorations on the facades of houses, known as stone embroideries, are widespread in photographs in textbooks and on the chevrons of the Ukrainian military. More than a thousand workshop participants have tried to work in the author's technique of carving stone vyshyvankas using the artist Hryhorii Dovzhenko 's original technique. Read more about the "coded" pearl of the south and the unique artistic phenomenon in Intent's exclusive interview with Liza Yevseyeva, co-founder of the Novokakhovka Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and architect.

Ms. Yevseyeva, why do the stone embroideries of Nova Kakhovka belong to the cultural heritage of Ukraine?

Stone vyshyvankas are ornamental decorations of architectural objects created by Ukrainian artist and monumental sculptor Hryhorii Dovzhenko. He is one of the few artists who followed Mykhailo Boichuk and survived the "Executed Renaissance," repression, and World War II.

In the 1950s, Dovzhenko developed a whole concept of what new Ukrainian settlements should look like in the postwar reconstruction. According to his idea, towns and villages were to be ensembles, where each building, depending on its role (residential, cultural, educational, or infrastructure) could be decorated in one or another technique of monumental art, with his carving on raw plaster being the leading technique.

Hryhorii Dovzhenko at work. Photo from the archive of the Bashtanka Museum

As part of a pilot project at that time in Nova Kakhovka, Hryhorii Dovzhenko and his students created more than two thousand square meters of unique ornamental carvings. He was unable to continue in this direction in other cities of Ukraine. In 1955, a decree was issued to combat "excesses in construction." His idea remained alive as a unique example of the wave of Ukrainian monumental revival only in this city in the south of Ukraine.

On March 15, 2024, the Historical Center of Nova Kakhovka received the status of a monument of urban planning and monumental art of national importance. Thus, it confirmed the historical value of stone embroideries in the treasury of the national cultural heritage of Ukraine.

Do I understand correctly that Nova Kakhovka has been called a "sewn" or "coded" city relatively recently?

That's right. When we started working on the protection, restoration, and popularization of ornamental panels, we came to the conclusion that we needed to give people a simple and clear message. It is quite difficult to pronounce the full and correct name of the artistic phenomenon "...Hryhorii Dovzhenko's monumental panel in the technique...".

Nova Kakhovka. Photo courtesy of the interviewee

As a result of a team search in 2017, the name "Stone Embroideries" emerged. It is close to people. After all, Dovzhenko tried to protect the buildings and their history by putting appropriate ornaments on the facades. Just as we try to protect ourselves by transferring certain symbols to our clothes. In addition, "stone" is also a sign that vyshyvanka is strong and stable, just like our heritage. The story quickly took root and spread, and I would say it became a full-fledged brand of Nova Kakhovka. Although it was difficult for me personally to get used to this name.

Very often you hear the number 80 next to stone embroideries. Is this the number of panels?

No, we should forget this number altogether. It once appeared and began to be replicated as an approximate number of motifs.

There are 190 objects that have the appropriate status in the historic city, and 132 buildings with decorative decoration. But the number of panels on them is quite difficult to count. Because they differ both in image and in location on parts of the facade: between windows or on pediments, in the decoration of gates, in window lunettes or around lucarnes.

According to Dovzhenko's concept, the ornaments differ not only in their images but also in their meanings. Did you manage to decipher anything from the embroideries?

First of all, I would like to note that after Mykhailo Boichuk and his fellow students were shot or arrested in 1937, Hryhorii Dovzhenko was forbidden to continue working in monumental art. He was dismissed from the Kyiv Art Institute and plunged into the so-called "internal emigration."

During this time, Dovzhenko deeply immersed himself in the study of Ukrainian ornaments from textiles to church facades. Then, during the Second World War, he worked in evacuation in Central Asia, where symbolism has different meanings from ours and is extremely decorative. This also influenced his work.

Therefore, when the artist finally got the opportunity to work in this direction, using all his experience, he turned Nova Kakhovka into a rather complex system of conveying various meanings. So even after 50 years, we still have something to decipher, and it continues to be meaningful and interesting. Let me give you one example.

Nova Kakhovka. Photo provided by the interviewee

First of all, the city was conceived as a symbol of a new revival, peaceful and bright postwar life. This code can be clearly read on the building of the Summer Theater. There are a lot of elements of the tree of life here, but they are not copies of the classic traditional ones. In particular, Hryhorii Dovzhenko wove grapes grown by the colonists on these lands and cotton flowers into the design, because the construction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and canals was partly carried out by the Ministry of Cotton, and it was planned to grow this crop in industrial formats. In this way, the artist created a synthetic work with a new meaning, from which we can understand the history of the area.

The same principle applies to every building in Nova Kakhovka. A dormitory for young people, a house for architects or builders - this purpose was necessarily individually reflected in the theme of the ornaments. In addition, according to the philosophy of the Boychukists, art was supposed to grow right on the site where it was created. In modern terms, this can be described as storytelling about a particular location or object.

Your team worked to preserve Ukrainian cultural heritage before the full-scale war. Did this have consequences during the occupation of Nova Kakhovka?

We know that the co-founder of the NGO Novokakhovka Society for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and architect Tetiana Yevseyeva was on the detention lists, and the Russian military asked a lot of questions of the team members who had not yet left the occupation. For these conversations, they were taken "to the basements". These lists also included other names from our organization. So now, for various security reasons, we try not to publicize our team by name and sign the materials simply as a company.

Despite this, you have continued your activities. In particular, is your team currently involved in documenting the destruction of cultural heritage throughout Ukraine?

Yes, we are. We joined the expert initiative NeMo: Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab, which was founded in 2022 by Vasyl Rozhko. The team recently released a practical guide to documenting the destruction of cultural heritage. It was written based on the results of 3 years of experience in expeditions across Ukraine (except for the occupied territories) during the full-scale war.

The main goal of the documentation initiative is to collect a general picture of the losses and evidence that this is a deliberate policy of the Russian Federation against the culture of our country. And this is fully substantiated in the publication. It also describes step by step the processes of documenting such objects.

Specialists work in three areas. The first is quick documentation, as a confirmation of the fact, verification of the object's condition by experts. The second is more in-depth, when it is possible to examine the object in detail and collect data that will become the basis for future restoration. And the third type of documentation is for opening criminal proceedings. Here, the work is done very meticulously in order to bring the Russian Federation to justice for each properly collected case. All research complies with international standards and protocols.

Nova Kakhovka has been under temporary Russian occupation for 3.5 years. How do you manage to tell about its cultural heritage in such circumstances?

In fact, this movement was very active even before the full-scale invasion, and in many aspects we were an example for other initiatives and had best practices. Because we immediately approached heritage as a complex phenomenon that is fully in line with the world's leading trends.

Today, we see admiration from foreign colleagues who emphasize that they have a lot to learn from us. For Ukrainians, cultural heritage is not just a tourist attraction or a colorful decoration, but a way of life. And during a full-scale war, this has become an even stronger and more vivid phenomenon.

I will not hide the fact that at first we did not understand how to talk about the material heritage without the city. But people's support encouraged us to keep going. So we began to work actively, adapting to the new realities. That's how we came up with virtual tours of Nova Kakhovka, traveling exhibitions about stone embroidery, and workshops on raw wattle carving techniques.

So far, we have held more than 70 workshops and about 30 exhibitions. In Ukraine, these are Kyiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Nova Kakhovka's sister city Drohobych, and Hryhorii Dovzhenko's hometown of Bashtanka. We saw our occupied heritage and tried to recreate it abroad, namely in Poland, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, Georgia, and Germany. As for the audience, it is diverse: from children in secondary schools to parliamentary summits where ambassadors from around the world gather.

Photo courtesy of the interviewee

What is the purpose of such events?

First, we wanted to do this for our people: to unite the community that has been scattered around the world and remind the people of Novokakhovka what a cozy and beautiful city they are from. Secondly, to tell those who do not know about Nova Kakhovka, and to do so with the right and correct narratives. The south has never been Russian, it is Ukrainian. And thirdly, to get support for the future, post-war work on the reconstruction of ornamental panels. That is why at the end of each workshop we always tell the participants that they are now part of the team that will restore the city.

Already during the workshops, we realized the fourth goal of such activities - art therapy. People communicate with their fellow countrymen, gain some knowledge and do something with their own hands. In this way, they switch their attention from the events around them and their personal experiences, and psychologically relieve themselves.

Carving on raw plaster is Hryhorii Dovzhenko's own technique. How did you manage to recreate the process and make it actually authentic?

We have been working for a long time to reveal Hryhorii Dovzhenko's recipe. To do this, we sent pieces of stone embroidery to restoration laboratories. But all this did not give a complete picture of the necessary proportions of ingredients. Later, fortunately, the artist's grandchildren found his diaries, and we found archival articles in libraries describing the solution. That's how we recreated the recipe.

It could have been made more modern and simpler, but it was important for us to keep it authentic. Because even through the ingredients Dovzhenko managed to tell a part of the history of Nova Kakhovka.

For the mortar, the artist used the most available materials for the south: pure river sand, cement for hydroelectric works (it acquires a blue hue over time), and lime, at least 8-10 years old. And frankly speaking, when you manage to assemble this triad, it is a pleasure to work with the material, it is very plastic and can be cut extremely easily. At the same time, carving is a very complex and difficult process. Because the mortar hardens quite quickly. And you have to finish the details with the use of force, being careful not to crack the panel.

You pay a lot of attention to working with pupils and students of artistic specialties. Is it training specialists for your team?

To be honest, we have been dreaming about this area of work for a long time. In 2022, we planned to organize a summer school for young people who would start practicing the technique of carving on raw plaster right on the facades of houses, as part of the process of restoring embroidered shirts. In other words, to conduct such an educational promotion of the city. In the future, we wanted to create a restoration center in southern Ukraine. But...

A group of sculptors by Hryhorii Dovzhenko. Photo from the archive of the Bashtanka Museum

The example of Hryhorii Dovzhenko helped to cope with new challenges and transform the idea. He came to Nova Kakhovka virtually alone, as part of a small team of artists. The previous years of repression and war had wiped out a huge layer of artists. On the spot, he gradually increased his team. At the same time, the artist allowed his students to work on the facades only after he realized that they had mastered not only the technique but also knowledge of Ukrainian architecture and culture. So Dovzhenko himself gave us the idea of how to work in the postwar period. And we, in accordance with our goals, understand that we need to do it today.

Elements of stone embroidery can now be found in various manifestations: calendars, chevrons, cups...

After February 24, 2022, our team's activities naturally shifted to supporting people and the military. We use the symbols of Nova Kakhovka's heritage to tell about the occupation and raise funds to cover humanitarian needs. But at the same time, it worked as a promotion with a new essential meaning - Ukrainian identity and the struggle for the native land.

It was our defenders who suggested designing a chevron with an element of stone embroidery, and it has become a symbol for them. We have a lot of stories that touch our hearts. In particular, the guys wrote that they use the chevron as a talisman on the position, passing it to each other on duty. They also said that thanks to this work with the city's heritage, they are more aware of what they are fighting for, what they want to preserve and pass on to generations.

Chevron "Stone Vyshyvanka". Photo courtesy of the interviewee

What is the current condition of stone vyshyvankas? To what extent are they damaged or destroyed as a result of the hostilities?

We constantly monitor the condition of stone vyshyvankas using various methods. During this time, about 50 objects of urban planning and monumental art of national importance have been partially damaged or destroyed. The destruction is the result of shelling, fires afterwards, and flooding due to the undermining of the Kakhovka dam by the Russian military.

For example, this is the building of the Summer Theater, which has already been mentioned. It contained not only ornamental panels but also works by Hryhorii Dovzhenko in other techniques. For example, wood paintings. After the "big water" there was nothing left of them, just imagine, wooden elements were found at a distance of 2 kilometers from the building.

What about the embroideries? It's impossible to know yet, but I think there is some contamination, chips and cracks. Because the rapid flow destroyed everything in its path and carried a lot of debris, and the water itself was dirty, with mud and oil.

Another object is the Palace of Culture. Today we know that the facade of the building has been shot through, there is a huge hole in its wall from a shell hit. Therefore, it is likely that the damage is not only external but also internal. This building was also decorated with mosaics, artistic paintings, and colorful stained glass windows by a whole galaxy of Ukrainian artists.

It was here that Hryhorii Dovzhenko created the ornamental mosaic panel "Firebird" as a symbol of Ukraine's revival, that this country had risen from the fire and would do so again if necessary. Unfortunately, this element of the decor was destroyed in a fire in 2007, but our intention to restore it is still there.

The Druzhba sanatorium before the occupation. Photo courtesy of the interviewee

One of the recent losses is the building of the Druzhba children's sanatorium. The two-story building burned down almost completely.

Is it possible to restore stone embroideries?

I should note that not all stone embroideries were recorded by our team and added to the archive. This process was still ongoing. And the archives themselves remained under occupation. Therefore, some of the ornamental panels will be lost forever.

We simply won't have the samples to create them again. As for most of them, we will look at the situation at the time of the city's liberation.

Why is it so important to continue to fight for the occupied heritage of Nova Kakhovka, and where do you find the strength to do so?

Sometimes the strength does disappear. But at the right moments, there are "bells and whistles" that bring us back to the fight. It can be a message about participation in a workshop, a request for a new chevron or calendar, or a question: "When are you coming to our city with an exhibition?". And now we have also started to receive requests from young people from Nova Kakhovka who are studying in different countries and writing their research papers on stone embroideries.

At such moments, you realize that the history of a small town in the south is important not only to you. So you look for new forms of work.

Undoubtedly, our team is helped by the connection with our hometown. We left Nova Kakhovka physically 3.5 years ago, but not for a single day mentally. We still stay with our city.

Nova Kakhovka. Photo provided by the interviewee

Nova Kakhovka will never be a scorched earth, because its people will definitely return. And it is the unification around the heritage of stone embroideries that is our unshakable belief in this.

The work on this material was made possible by the Fight for Facts project, which is implemented with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Ігор Льов, Яніна Надточа