Details
THE UKRAINIAN PHOENIX
The sculpture embodies a visual proclamation of inner strength, regeneration, and the ultimate supremacy of life over mortality.
Dimensions: 109 х 81 cm | 43 x 32 in
Gross Weight: ~35 kg
Provenance
The Author: Sergey Melnikoff (MFF) in collaboration with Ukrainian welder Victor Bielchyk.
This work of art was created in Odesa, Ukraine, in 2023, during a critical phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Owner and Seller: The Soul of Ukraine Foundation, Inc. — a U.S.-based charitable public corporation registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
A 501(c)(3) tax-deductibility certificate is issued to the purchaser, allowing the full amount expended to be written off for U.S. federal tax purposes.
The Ukrainian Phoenix
A Sculpture Forged in the Fire of War
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.
Sergey Melnikoff (right) and Viktor Bielchyk at the entrance to their Odesa workshop, presenting the Ukrainian Phoenix sculpture in its final stage of creation.
Estimate: USD 150,000 — 250,000
Photo by Mariia Universaliuk
The artist also employs a subtle kinetic technique. Tiny shards are mounted on delicate metal wires that tremble and shimmer with the slightest movement. These trembling elements intensify the sense of living energy, giving the impression that the Phoenix is truly taking flight. It is a moment of “living motion” — a visual transformation from stillness to dynamism, from death to life.
The final stage of the sculpture’s completion will involve electroplating the entire surface in 999.9 fine gold. This luminous coating will not merely lend the piece a noble appearance — it will symbolize spiritual transfiguration. Here, gold is not an ornament of luxury, but an alchemy of light, purifying the war-torn metal and sanctifying it.
The Ukrainian Phoenix is more than a sculpture. It is a visual code of a nation that has endured unspeakable trials and yet has never lost faith in its own rebirth. A bird rising from the mangled shell of war, it becomes not only a metaphor for Ukraine itself but a message to the world: even from the darkest depths, light can rise.
Artist Sergey Melnikoff (left) and welder Viktor Bielchyk working on the sculpture Ukrainian Phoenix in their Odesa workshop. 2023.
Photo by Mariia Universaliuk
The Ukrainian Phoenix
Estimate
USD 150,000 — 250,000
This striking sculpture is crafted from artillery shell fragments collected across Ukraine. To form the wings and tail of the mythical bird, the artist selected shard-like elements reminiscent of feathers, imbuing the Phoenix with powerful symbolism of rebirth and resilience.
At the sculpture’s base lies a ruptured shell, from which the immortal bird appears to rise—a poignant representation of a nation ascending from the ashes of war.
The piece will be finished with a 999.9 fine gold coating, applied through electroplating.
— You are a genius, turning fragments that took lives into a great Resurrection!
— Ludmila Leukhina
Art Beauty Industry Biotech, Kharkiv
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Ashes of War as a Mirror of Our Time
This short essay examines the powerful influence of American artist and photojournalist Sergey Melnikoff—known as MFF—on contemporary art through his monumental anti-war series Ashes of War. Constructed from thousands of actual battlefield fragments, including mine splinters, ammunition debris, and scorched military steel, Melnikoff’s works such as The Golden Crucifixion, The Holy Mandylion, and Ukrainian Phoenix transcend the boundaries of traditional sculpture, merging ethical testimony with sacred symbolism.
Art historians examine positions Melnikoff as a central figure in a rising movement of “material activism” and “spiritual realism” in art, where the material itself becomes the message. Challenging conventional aesthetics, his work provokes catharsis and demands a moral response from the viewer. The essay explores the political, ethical, and curatorial implications of such works, arguing that Ashes of War reshapes not only the landscape of art, but also the viewer’s relationship to truth, memory, and collective trauma.
This is not art about war—it is art born of war, yet fiercely humanistic. Melnikoff’s sculptures call us not to admire, but to witness, and in doing so, redefine the very purpose of contemporary art in times of global crisis.
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Currently, the market value of MFF’s works from the Ashes of War series is estimated by experts to range from $150,000 to $1,000,000, depending on the size, materials used, symbolic impact, and associated narrative.
It is widely expected that following the end of the war and the cementing of these works’ historical importance, their value will rise exponentially, especially among collectors, investors, and museums worldwide.
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