The Story Behind My Borscht Painting.
February 24, 2022 changed my life forever.
Like millions of Ukrainians, I woke up to a world that no longer felt familiar.
I was not in Mariupol or Bucha, and I know others endured horrors far beyond anything I experienced. But fear has many forms.
Air-raid sirens became part of everyday life. Every nights I fell asleep in my clothes because I didn’t know if I would have to run to a shelter again before morning.
(I was able to take pallet knife to my hand only later, two weeks after the start of the full-scale invasion of the russian terrorists on the territory of the Independent Country – Ukraine.)
Even taking a shower or unpacking a bag sometimes felt impossible when every ordinary moment could be interrupted.
Painting—something that had always been my language—simply stopped. I couldn’t pick up a brush. It felt as though a wall had risen between me and my art.
Yet, amid that uncertainty, one small ritual remained.
Every day, I cooked a small pot of borscht.
It wasn’t about the food alone. It was about creating one moment that still felt normal. One familiar smell. One warm bowl. One promise that life, somehow, was continuing.
Alongside that daily ritual, I helped in other ways—making camouflage netting, searching pharmacies for medicines requested by soldiers, and sending supplies wherever they were needed. But every evening, there was still that bowl of borscht.
Years later, when I finally found the strength to paint this piece, I realized I wasn’t painting a meal.
I was painting memory.
I was painting resilience.
I was painting home.
More Than a Bowl of Soup
When people outside Ukraine hear the word borscht, they often think of a recipe.
For Ukrainians, it means much more.
Borscht is a family tradition passed from one generation to the next. Every region has its own version. Every grandmother has her own secret ingredient. Every family believes their recipe is the best—and that is part of its beauty.
It is the aroma that welcomes you home after a long journey. It is Sunday lunch around the family table. It is celebration, comfort, and care served from the same pot.
In 2022, UNESCO recognized the culture of Ukrainian borscht cooking as an element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. That recognition was not simply about a recipe. It acknowledged a living tradition carried by millions of people through everyday life, family memories, and shared meals.
That is why I chose to paint borscht.
Not as food.
But as a symbol of home, identity, warmth, and the quiet strength that survives even the hardest times.
Every Brushstroke Carries a Memory
I paint with a palette knife, building thick layers of oil paint one stroke at a time.
Just as a pot of borscht is made from many simple ingredients, this painting is built from countless layers of color and texture. Each one adds depth, warmth, and character.
Living in Türkiye has changed my address, but it has never changed my heart.
Through my paintings, I continue telling the story of Ukraine—its traditions, everyday beauty, and the memories that connect us wherever we are in the world.
Culture is not preserved only in museums.It lives in ordinary moments: a family recipe, the scent of fresh herbs, a shared meal, and a painting created with love.If my Borscht painting helps even one person discover Ukraine through its culture, then every brushstroke has fulfilled its purpose.
🖼 View the original Borscht painting on Etsy
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