Ukrainians recreate damaged Mariupol mosaic as symbol of hope

An exact reproduction of a Soviet-era mosaic destroyed during Russia's 2022 siege of Mariupol has been unveiled in Kyiv's Maidan Square, offering a sense of cultural resilience and identity in times of conflict.

Originally created in 1967 by the renowned Ukrainian artist Alla Horska, the mosaic – titled Boryviter, Ukrainian for "kestrel" – depicted the bird of prey soaring above stylized flowers.

It was severely damaged during the Russian assault on Mariupol, a southeastern port city now under Russian control. Young Ukrainian artists assembled the reproduction over months, and it is now displayed behind glass opposite Kyiv's Independence Monument.

People gathered to view the piece after the unveiling, with some pausing to take photos.

Olena, 66, a Kyiv resident whose family was displaced from Mariupol due to the conflict, said she came to see the mosaic to send a picture to her homesick relatives who now reside in Europe.

"They lost everything, but are in Europe now," she said. "I'm going to send it to them and they'll see it."

Several Ukrainian cultural NGOs, private companies and a family fund led by Alla Horska's son and granddaughter initiated the reproduction. They say they want to preserve and promote Ukrainian heritage.

"The restoration of Boryviter is a strong symbol of hope to me," said 'Ukraine Wow' co-founder Yaroslava Gres.

"It is a symbol of faith that everything lost will be restored, and that everything stolen from Ukraine will be returned."

Artist Olha, who was displaced from the Donetsk region in 2014, helped reconstruct the mosaic, which she remembers from spending her childhood summers in Mariupol.

"This is a legendary work," she said. "We are restoring it despite everything. And we do it with dignity, with quality, cool and with love in our hearts."

The original mosaic was one of many artworks created by Horska, a dissident artist who died in 1970 aged 41. Her granddaughter, Olena Zaretska, 42, explained at the unveiling that she never met her grandmother.

"She was killed before I was born," she said. "But when someone tells me they touched the mosaic, it is as valuable to me as the mosaic itself."

The exact circumstances of the mosaic's damage remain unclear, but Ukrainian cultural activists say it occurred during the Russian attack on the city in 2022.

The recreated mosaic now serves as a tribute to Horska's legacy and Ukraine's resilience.