A few weeks after the war in Ukraine started, an image known as "Saint Javelin", depicting the Virgin Mary cradling a US-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile launcher, went viral (View this photo). Originally developed by Canadian marketer and former journalist Christian Borys (who freelanced in Ukraine from 2014 to 2018 reporting about Donbas) to raise money for the relief efforts in Ukraine, the rocket-armed saint in dark green robes, a reference to combat uniforms and army fatigues, and with a blue and yellow halo hinting at the national colours of Ukraine, was created by Ukrainian graphic designer Evgeniy Shalashov.
The image was adapted from the "Madonna Kalashnikov", a 2012 painting by US artist Chris Shaw, depicting a Madonna holding a gold-plated AK-47.
The Javelin is seen by many Ukrainians as an invaluable tool to slow the advance of Russian ground forces, this is why Saint Javelin soon turned into a 'meme of resistance' for Ukrainians.
The meme inspired Julia Krahn's "St. Javelin" project: the latter consists in a series of photographs portraying women who left Ukraine when the war started, leaving their families and friends behind.
The images, printed on flags, are currently on display outside the loggia of the Museo Novecento in Florence, Italy, to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (today, 25th November), a day for combating all forms of discrimination and violence against women.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Krahn started thinking about ways to look at the war and at its impact on people in her practice, and eventually decided to offer a visual message of resistance and peace through her portraits of Ukrainian women.
None of the women in the portraits is actually holding a Javelin, but all of them stand solemn and noble, clad in blue and yellow, wearing at times attires reminiscent of those donned by religious icons.
All the women stare directly at the camera and therefore at the viewers, almost to engage in a personal dialogue; only a young child, Kira, turns away from the camera, temporarily distracted by the simple joys that a balloon can offer.
Behind each image there is a symbolism: Aleksandra wears a crown of mimosa, a flower representing the feminine world as it is delicate, but actually very strong and able to grow in hostile lands; Juliana wears a crown of ears of wheat and holds the typical Ukrainian bread, the "palianytsia", references to the fact that Ukraine is one of the world's largest wheat exporters and that the war caused a global food crisis.
Lesya, whose 18-year-old son joined the army, offers viewers a crown of bullets, almost asking them if they would fight for their freedom and country; Marina holds her 6-month-old daughter in her arms; Gaika's spade is an invitation to reconstruction, but it is also a dark symbol, reminding us about mass graves and death.
The importance of various means of communications is also explored in the series: Sasha's emanating crown represents radio frequencies; newspaper cuttings form a crown and a shield in the portrait of Olena, whose yellow mobile phone symbolises her connection with her husband in Ukraine.
Olga, an elderly woman, impersonating Kyiv's Virgin Orans ("orans" in Greek means "praying"), raises her hands to bless the world (the Virgin Orans is called "the Unbreakable Wall"; from ancient times it is believed that as long as the image of the Virgin Orans is in St. Sophia, so long stands the city of Kyiv). Karina is instead the Madonna of the Apocalypse, with the stars of the European flag forming a halo around her head and her foot crushing a sickle, a Soviet symbol.
Julia Krahn also added a self-portrait in which she emerges with the upper part of her body painted in blue from bags filled with sands, recreating the iconic landmark statues in the city of Odesa, covered in sand bags to protect them from missiles and bombs.
On each flag there is a QR code that points to the stories of these women who talk about the early days of the war from their perspective, and the fear and anxiety they felt for their dear ones left behind (you can also read their stories at this link).
All of the women involved in the project recounted to Krahn their nightmarish experiences when the war started and how they managed to reach Italy often after travelling for days under Russian fire. All of the women who posed in the picture warn us in their interviews about the perils of ignoring what we have and the importance of cherishing all sorts of moments we have with our dear ones and our friends.
As Aleksandra states in her interview: "Everyone should understand that war deeply affects each of our lives. In an instant, everything can change. One's plans or ambitions or dreams for the future are put on hold (…) Instead everyone should be able to have faith in tomorrow (...) it is necessary to reconsider the values in our lives, wherever we live. Because in today's world we don't pay enough attention to what, in extreme moments like war, becomes fundamental. Love, attention, and sensitivity to others, to those around us."
All images in this post courtesy and copyright Julia Krahn
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