UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Sep. 12 — In Kharkiv, a reproduction of the mosaic called Boryviter by Alla Horska was placed at the metro station until Sep. 15, said Yaroslava Hres, the co-organizer of ​​Ukraine WOW.

The original mosaic panel was created in the summer of 1967 in Mariupol, in the interior of the restaurant “Ukraine,” by a group of artists led by Alla Horska, one of the leaders of the Ukrainian Sixties movement — a generation of Ukrainian activists who reawakened cultural and political life in Ukraine during the Soviet era of late 1950s and 1960s.

In 2022, this Mariupol mosaic was partially destroyed during Russia’s full-scale invasion, and its current condition is still unknown.

Over the three months, 15 monumentalists recreated the mosaic, replicating every detail. It was first presented in Kyiv, and later in London’s Trafalgar Square before the boxing match between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.

Reproduction of Boryviter mosaic by Alla Horska in London
Reproduction of Boryviter mosaic by Alla Horska presented in London / Photo: Ukraine WOW

Over 700 kilograms of materials from different countries were gathered to create the reproduction, including smalt, tiles of the necessary shades, metal plates, and even aluminum spoons.

“We want to recreate the mosaic down to the smallest details and ensure that, while Mariupol is occupied, a replica of Boryviter can travel the world and tell its story,” said Hres.

The artists developed a unique design with 68 puzzles to transport the mosaic. They also created a second version of the panel, divided into 1,250 fragments that could be purchased. They included 10 larger fragments, offered to be purchased for charity for $5,295 each. People willing to buy these pieces were found within half an hour.

The organizers donated the funds raised to restore a panel called Wind by Alla Horska, her only work in Kyiv, and to organize the Boryviter’s tour in Ukraine and around the world.

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