Russia's war erasing Kostiantynivka's Soviet era mosaics

5 hours ago

Soviet-era mosaics in Kostiantynivka, Ukraine, are being destroyed by Russian artillery.
These mosaics were designed to be permanent, surviving Soviet collapse and post-industrial neglect.
Photographer Oleg Petrasiuk documents the disappearing cultural landscape in Donetsk Oblast.
Mosaics were a Soviet propaganda tool, built into structures to be unavoidable and long-lasting.
Post-1991, Ukraine grappled with preserving or removing Communist imagery, with mosaics posing unique challenges.
Some mosaics, like those on Cosmonatus Boulevard, reflect industrialization themes from the space race era.
The war has turned preservation efforts into desperate documentation, as physical saving is impossible.
Donetsk Oblast's industrial cities, once showcases of Soviet art, are now war zones, with mosaics destroyed alongside buildings.
The destruction highlights the fragility of cultural heritage in conflict zones.

Hasty Briefsbeta