Icons on Ammunition Boxes

The central idea of the project is the transformation of death, symbolized by the ammunition box, into life, which in Ukrainian culture is symbolized by the icon.

The couple, Oleksandr Klymenko (born in 1976) and Sonya Atlantova (born in 1981), initiated the art project “Icons on Ammunition Boxes” in 2014. At that time, Oleksandr worked as an ambulance driver in the East of Ukraine. It was during this period that he conceived the idea upon encountering empty ammunition boxes. After obtaining the necessary permissions, he repurposed the remnants of ammunition boxes for this project, as the shelves were the perfect dimensions for creating icons. The foundation of the canvas is made up of boxes from Ukrainian and Russian ammunition.

The artists paint Christian icons on real ammunition boxes from the front lines in Ukraine, symbolically portraying life overcoming death.

Humanitarian Purpose
The icon painters behind this art project also have a humanitarian mission. The proceeds generated from the sale of the icons have been used to support a mobile hospital at the frontlines. Currently, efforts are underway to raise funds to aid wounded soldiers and civilians in their physical and psychological recovery processes.

The official opening of the exhibition will be on December 17.

The “Icons on Ammunition Boxes” project is made possible through the initiative of artists Oleksandr Klymenko and Sonya Atlantova and the support of esteemed partners and stakeholders, including Stevenskerk Nijmegen, Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, Raad van Kerken in Nederland, and the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.