Ukrainian artist's 'Sculpture' series normalizes injured bodies of Ukraine's soldiers

by Kate TsurkanJuly 18, 2025 4:51 PM5 min read

Illia, 30, survived being burned in a tank explosion during the war and now dedicates his recovery to serving and helping others heal despite losing his leg and sustaining burns to 30% of his body. (Marta Syrko / The Kyiv Independent)

Culture5 min readby Kate Tsurkan

In wartime Ukraine, soldiers who have lost limbs face not only the physical toll of their injuries but an existential question — what does life after the battlefield look like?

For the thousands of Ukrainians who have lost limbs, either on the front line or in Russian attacks, the struggle to begin again is not just personal – it is quietly shaping a cultural movement that will continue long after the war is over. Through their recovery, self-reinvention, and resolve, a new narrative in Ukrainian society is emerging, one that redefines the very idea of a return to "normal."

Marta Syrko’s "Sculpture" celebrates the resilience of Ukrainian soldiers after sustaining severe injuries in war. By stripping away their uniforms and weapons, Syrko compels us to view these individuals not merely as soldiers who have lost limbs in combat, but as human beings with rich personal histories deserving of dignity.

Syrko's work draws upon classical traditions of representing the human form, while simultaneously challenging us to reconsider our perceptions of loss.

These images of Ukrainian soldiers juxtapose vulnerability with strength, with some evoking the sculptures of Ancient Greek warriors. The scars and tattoos on their bodies convey a palpable tension between the inherent beauty of the human body and the violence they have endured.

Rendered in soft blue and amber hues, some photographs evoke a dream-like atmosphere, offering space for introspection and symbolizing the soldiers' journey toward accepting life with their injuries.

The depiction of rain in certain images serves as a metaphor for purification, suggesting the washing away of the scars of war and the gradual return to a sense of normalcy — or at least something close to it.

Images of a soldier draped in fabric, cradling their newborns is reminiscent of Renaissance depictions of the Madonna and Child, and the positioning of metal prosthetic limbs with the fragile presence of an infant symbolizes a profound reconnection to civilian life through fatherhood.

The series reminds that Ukrainian soldiers are not just warriors, but husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters — individuals with lives and identities beyond their service, highlighting how they should be acknowledged for more than just their injuries.

"I dream of continuing to serve my country, to defend it. I want and plan to join the Air Assault Forces training center," Andrii, Senior Lieutenant who was severely wounded in a 2022 airstrike near the village of Mala Komyshuvakha, Kharkiv Oblast.

Kate Tsurkan

Reporter

Kate Tsurkan is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent who writes mostly about culture-related topics in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Her newsletter Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan, which focuses specifically on Ukrainian culture, is published weekly by the Kyiv Independent. The U.S. publisher Deep Vellum published her co-translation of Ukrainian author Oleh Sentsov’s Diary of a Hunger Striker in 2024. Some of her other writing and translations have appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Harpers, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is the co-founder of Apofenie Magazine.