Ukrainian artist and icons restorer Lev Skop is a bright representative of Ukrainian painting. His icons are unique; they are painted free of doctrinal iconographic restrictions in a nonclassical style, and their patterns never repeats.
For 30 years, he has been restoring the ancient St Yura church (15-16 century) in Drohobych town. Since 2013, St Yura church is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site, also due to the work of Lev Skop.
Lev paints pictures and icons on a daily basis; he gives almost all his money to charity or donations for soldiers fighting in eastern Ukraine. The prices of his work, sold in Ukraine, as well as in USA, Canada and Europe. stand in strong contrast to the asceticism of his workshop.
This war is a very personal issue for Lev. His family has been oppressed in the Soviet Union, and he himself has been persecuted by the KGB, for his pro-Ukrainian position. When the Russian invasion began, Lev was one of the first who volunteered to help soldiers; and, as he claims, he found the meaning of life.
To this day, almost every month, Lev travels more than 1000 km to reach the front line and give soldiers new icons or flags with images of saints as gifts.
"Icons Of War" is part of a future film Kostiantyn Kliatskin is working on.
instagram: @artfon | Youtube: Icons Of War / Babylon13
