The Ukrainian Phoenix is a visual manifesto of spiritual strength, rebirth, and the triumph of life over death. Created in Odesa in 2023 during a critical phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war, this sculpture by artist Sergey Melnikoff (MFF), in collaboration with Ukrainian welder Viktor Bielchyk, transforms the debris of war into a powerful national symbol of renewal.

At first glance, the work astonishes with its monumental scale and expressive form. The mythical figure of the Phoenix is composed entirely of genuine artillery shell fragments collected across Ukraine. The wings and tail replicate the contours of feathers, yet instead of graceful, delicate forms, we see jagged, rusted metal. This dissonance of form and material imbues the sculpture with layered meaning: each fragment, each metallic “feather,” carries the memory of destruction — but in its new incarnation, it no longer signifies fear, but defiance and resilience.

Particularly striking is the sculpture’s base — a massive, ruptured artillery shell. Its body has been violently blown apart from within, the result of an internal detonation triggered by an enemy strike. The thick metal walls have been split and twisted outward, as if the very earth had exploded to give birth to a flaming bird. From the heart of this crater, the Phoenix erupts — tense, powerful, caught in the act of ascending skyward in an unstoppable surge of life. This artistic decision stands among the most evocative of the piece: destruction is reimagined as the origin of rebirth.