VMU Hosting Exhibition Dedicated to Ukrainian Children in Russian Captivity

The Madonna Icons on Ammunition Crates, an exhibition dedicated to Ukrainian children held in Russian captivity, is currently open at VMU Central Building (28 S. Daukanto g., Kaunas), near the Mariupol State University’s Centre. The exhibition’s authors are Ukrainian artists: painter, book illustrator Sonya Atlantova and artist, writer Oleksandr Klymenko.

“The image of the Madonna with Child perfectly embodies the symbolic struggle between good and evil, love and hatred, life and death. The Madonna icon is perceived not only as a sacred image, but also as an archetype. Motherhood becomes a form of anti-war protest, a counterpoint to violence, a symbol of hope. Painted on an ammunition crate, the image of the Mother and Child materializes this hope, making it visible through a creative act. What once carried death now becomes the embodiment of life par excellence”, the artists say, explaining that the Madonna icons also symbolize hope that the innocent will be freed, including Ukrainian children.

Dedicated above all to the Ukrainian children currently held in Russian captivity, this exhibition of Madonna icons draws attention to state-sponsored child abduction as well as to the urgent need to bring these children home. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian minors remain hostages to this day.

“Yet beyond their return, it is equally crucial to ensure their rehabilitation and, no less importantly, their access to high-quality education of European standard. In Ukraine, Mariupol State University stands as an undisputed leader in this effort, working systematically to make this vision a reality. Thanks to the dedicated and meticulous work of the university’s team, hundreds of young Ukrainians from the occupied territories have already received—and continue to receive—education”, the exhibition’s organizers note.

Mariupol State University, in partnership with the Children of Heroes Charity Fund, is launching a fundraiser for an educational camp for children orphaned by the war.

Sonya Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko’s project “Icons on Ammo Boxes” is dedicated to artistic reflections on the Ukrainian-Russian war. The project’s central idea is to transform death—symbolized by an ammo box—into life, traditionally represented by icons in Ukrainian culture. The project has been exhibited in prominent venues including the European Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Lithuanian Seimas, the EU Representation in Ukraine and various other spaces all over the world: in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and other countries.