I started working on this picture in very extreme conditions, when you could hear explosions for almost a whole day, and rockets flew over our house. It was impossible to think of anything else but war. I did not know whether I would be alive tomorrow, whether my house and my paintings would survive, but I believed and prayed that the soldiers of Ukraine would have enough strength and stamina to repel the attacks of the enemy. When I finished this picture, it was already much calmer - the Ukrainian soldiers gave a worthy rebuff.
I probably never really was a patriot of my country until February 24th. This war changed my mind. Now I am proud of my country, my president, and I am very proud of the Ukrainian army. Our soldiers are real heroes, and I believe that they will have the strength to drive away all the evil spirits from the Ukrainian land. Because Ukraine is a super-country with strong, proud and independent people. And everything will be fine with us. We will definitely win, because goodness and truth are on our side, and our warriors protect their home, their relatives and friends.
