Photo: Natalia Dyachenko

Ukrainian artist Zhanna Kadyrova initiated the "Palyanitsya" project in the spring of 2022. Through this project, she has successfully donated UAH 7 million to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Representatives of the PinchukArtCentre gallery announced this.

"It's a humanitarian project. When it is announced to people, it is emphasized that all the proceeds from the sale of these works go to support Ukraine. Initially, I bought food, various materials for roofs, and different items. But for over a year now, it has been exclusively supporting the army," the artist mentioned.

The project consists of art objects that mimic the shape of traditional Ukrainian bread but are made from river stones.

Artists Zhanna Kadyrova and Denys Ruban spent two weeks in the basement of their home at the beginning of March 2022, seeking refuge from missile strikes and enemy sabotage groups that had overrun the outskirts of Kyiv. They then decided to evacuate to western Ukraine. Local residents of a village in the Zakarpattia region provided shelter for them in a picturesque house on a mountainside near a river.

Kadyrova shared that when they first arrived in Zakarpattia, they often explored the surroundings and noticed river stones that resembled bread in shape. This observation sparked the idea to transform them into symbolic art objects. The artists found an empty house in Berehove, which they converted into an art studio.

At the end of March, they held an exhibition titled "Palianytsia" in Zakarpattia, but the photos of their art installations generated interest worldwide. Later, Kadyrova mentioned that one of the first "palianytsias" was sent to Budapest, and a significant portion of the art objects were shipped to Japan.

"I ask for as much for a 'palianytsia' as it weighs: a three-kilogram stone costs €3000. When the money started coming in, we bought things for the army. For example, a drone for €9500. It instilled new faith in art," added the artist.