Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Emma Graham-Harrison

‘Masterpiece’ house is latest victim of Putin’s war on Ukrainian heritage

Inside the home of Ukrainian artist Polina Rayko in Oleshky, Kherson. The house is now under water.
Inside the home of Ukrainian artist Polina Rayko in Oleshky, Kherson. The house is now under water. Photograph: Ukrainian Art History @ukr_arthistory

Polina Rayko only took up a paintbrush aged 69 and her only canvas was the walls of her modest village home. But in just six years, she created a national treasure, and became an icon of folk art in southern Ukraine.

That house, decorated with images inspired by the rich natural life of the floodplains that backed on to Rayko’s garden, is the latest casualty of the Kakhovka dam collapse.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.