The Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine
A National Symbol Forged from the Ashes of War
The Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine by Sergey Melnikoff (MFF) reinterprets the sovereign emblem of a nation through the material language of contemporary war.
Created from authentic fragments of artillery shells and munitions collected on Ukrainian battlefields, the work transforms the physical remains of destruction into a monumental state symbol. The image does not imitate heraldry — it emerges from the very substance that sought to destroy the country it now represents.
Each fragment retains its original form, preserving the memory of violence while becoming part of a unified composition.
Materials & Technique
- Fragments of artillery shells, mines, and ammunition, assembled using electric welding.
- Multi-layered sculptural structure.
- No reshaping of elements — original forms preserved.
- Created using the Ashes of War technique.
Key Details
- Over 1,500 fragments selected and assembled by hand.
- Created in Odesa, Ukraine, in 2023, during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
- Developed in collaboration with master welder Viktor Bielchyk.
- Combines heraldic structure with sculptural depth.
Essay
The Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine is not a representation of a state symbol — it is its material transformation.
Traditionally, a coat of arms exists as an image: a sign of authority, continuity, and identity. In this work, that sign is reconstructed from the very matter of war. The fragments from which the sculpture is assembled once belonged to weapons designed to erase the sovereignty the emblem now affirms.
The artist does not conceal their origin.
He preserves it.
Every element carries the trace of its previous function. Yet within the composition, these fragments lose their destructive purpose and become part of a new order — one that speaks not of violence, but of endurance.
In this sense, the work exists simultaneously as symbol, artifact, and testimony.
“The Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine,” crafted from fragments of ammunition, photographed in Kyiv against the backdrop of destroyed Russian military equipment. Pictured with the work are hereditary Cossacks Viktor Balitskyi (left) and Vyacheslav Padalko of the Ukrainian Association of Free Cossacks.
Dimensions: 150 x 140 cm (59 x 55 in)
Weight: approx. 50 kg
Provenance:
The Soul of Ukraine Foundation, Inc. (since creation)
“The Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine” is constructed from fragments of artillery shells and mines collected across active combat zones in Ukraine.
A video by the State Information Agency of Ukraine, Ukrinform, documenting the solemn consecration of “The Great Coat of Arms of Ukraine” at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv.
The rite of blessing is performed by Archbishop Andriy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate.
Kyiv, Ukraine. 1 November 2023.
Press:
Featured in international media.
Details available upon request or in the Press section.