Sergey Melnikoff (MFF) demonstrates the central section of the inscription Allah al-Akbar (Allah Is Great).
Photo by Mariia Universaliuk
To the Leaders of Muslim Countries,
to the Imams of Mosques and Holy Sites of Islam,
and to Museum Directors
AN OFFICIAL APPEAL
OF THE COUNCIL OF CHECHEN ELDERS IN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
Bismillāh ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm
Dear Brothers,
We, the Chechen Elders residing in European countries, address you with an extraordinary yet profoundly important request for assistance and support for the master photojournalist and sculptor Sergey Melnikoff (MFF).
Sergey Melnikoff is a world-renowned photojournalist and writer who devoted immense efforts to bringing to international attention the genocide of the Chechen people carried out by imperial Russia — a genocide that claimed the lives of more than 300,000 Chechen civilians, including 42,000 children. For this work, Master Melnikoff was awarded by the Government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria one of the highest honours of the state — “Qoman Turpal” (“Hero of the Nation”) — and was admitted as an associate member of the Council of Chechen Elders in Europe (CCEE).
Following the onset of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Master Melnikoff redirected his efforts toward supporting the suffering Ukrainian people. In recent years, he has chosen a highly original — yet inherently dangerous — means of bearing witness to the genocide of the Ukrainian nation. Living in Odesa, together with his colleagues, he began collecting fragments of exploded Russian shells, missiles, and bombs, transforming them into works of art.
The culmination of his artistic path has become the creation of a masterpiece entitled “Allah al-Akbar”, a work of profound significance for every Muslim — and not only for Muslims. Together with his collaborators, through welding, he united thousands of fragments of munitions into a single form, and gilded the central element of the composition — the inscription “Allah Akbar” — with gold.
We, the Chechen Elders, are convinced that you, our Brothers, will make every effort to ensure the dissemination of the artistic masterpiece Allah al-Akbar and will fulfil your sacred duty before the Almighty by organising exhibitions and presenting this work in your palaces, mosques, and museums. In doing so, you may help to halt the genocide of the Ukrainian people — for the Almighty regards the killing of even a single innocent person as the gravest of sins, and here thousands of innocent lives are being lost, while Ukraine — one of the great countries of the world — is being destroyed.
May the Almighty assist us all in this noble cause. And we, the Chechen Elders, hold the hope that with your support these horrific crimes perpetrated by the Russian leadership and its imperial army will finally be brought to an end.
In shā’ Allāh.
With respect and profound hope,
on behalf of the Council of Chechen Elders in Europe,
Ziyavdi-Haji Beloev
Tamada (Chairman) of the CCEE
27 December 2025
Personal Statement of Position
Sergey Melnikoff (MFF)
December 20, 2025
Odesa, Ukraine
I affirm that this artwork is created from fragments of artillery shells and mortar rounds collected in Ukraine. In the night of 19 December 2025, my studio in Odesa sustained significant damage as a result of a Russian Shahed drone strike. This work therefore arises directly from my lived experience of war and its consequences.
Allah al-Akbar is conceived by me as an act of reverence and humility before the Almighty, expressed through the language of contemporary art.
Through this work, metal once intended for destruction is transformed into dhikr — a remembrance of the greatness of Allah. The material traces of war are transfigured into a sacred utterance, affirming the supremacy of the Divine over violence and devastation.
The sacred words Allah al-Akbar are rendered in Arabic calligraphy and will be gilded with pure 999.9 gold. For me, gold symbolises eternity, purity of intention, and the light of Divine guidance.
The base of the artwork is constructed from metal derived from cut casings of 23-calibre automatic cannon ammunition. Forged metal plates radiate from the centre in seven rays, with seven elements signifying completeness and divine order within the Islamic tradition.
The sacred inscription is enclosed within a double frame one metre in diameter, assembled from fragments of munitions and will be coated with nickel and pure gold using an electroplating method.
This work is not an ornament.
It is an intention (niyyah),
a gesture of profound respect towards Islam,
and a testimony that even from the ashes of war, praise to Allah may be raised.
The artwork will be presented at a charitable auction. All proceeds will be used exclusively for humanitarian purposes. I formally renounce any personal financial remuneration for the creation of this work.
Details
ALLAH AL-AKBAR
Forged from materials that once served destructive purposes, Allah al-Akbar transforms relics of conflict into a message of hope.
The artist gathers and purifies fragments of war and reshapes them into a calligraphic tribute to the Holy Name of Allah.
Here, the metal of destruction becomes a vessel of remembrance, respect and spiritual light.
Dimensions: 95 x 95 cm | 37⅗ x 37⅗ in
Gross Weight: ~25 kg
Provenance
The Author: Sergey Melnikoff (MFF).
This work of art is currently being created in Odesa, Ukraine, during a critical phase of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2025 — 2026.
Further Details
- The foundation of the artwork is created using the artist’s signature technique, Ashes of War. It is fashioned from cut sections of 23 mm cannon casings collected on the front line, reshaped into soft, flowing forms, and will be plated with nickel, copper and chrome.
- The double frame in traditional Islamic aesthetic is being created from authentic fragments of artillery shells and mortar rounds, welded by hand into an ornamental geometric structure made of thousands of circular cartridge bases. This structure will be finished in nickel and 24-karat gold.
- Inside the frame, the sacred words Allah al-Akbar are already composed in Arabic calligraphy from hundreds of micro-fragments of shrapnel. The entire inscription will be finished in 999.9 pure gold, symbolising purity, eternity and the light of divine guidance.
Allah al-Akbar is a visual prayer.
A gesture of respect towards the Islamic world.
A bridge between East and West.
A union of suffering and hope.
In every fragment of metal lies the memory of destruction.
In every letter of pure gold shines the testimony:
Allah is indeed Great.
Sergey Melnikoff (MFF) and the renowned Ukrainian master-welder Viktor Bielchyk during the creation of Allah al-Akbar.
Odesa, November 2025
Photo by Mariia Universaliuk
The Artist’s Moral Right to Address the Islamic World
Sergey Melnikoff is not an outside observer.
His extraordinary life has made him a bridge between cultures, religions and nations.
As the founder of the Soul of Ukraine, an International Charitable Foundation, he has spent decades realising humanitarian and intercultural projects dedicated to human dignity and spiritual unity.
He has been awarded the highest order of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Qoman Turpal, and the title of National Hero.
By decree of Prime Minister Akhmed Zakayev, he represents the Chechen nation at international forums.
He serves as a member of the Council of Chechen Elders in Europe and as the Honorary Consul of Ichkeria in the United States.
An American artist descended from an ancient family of Zaporozhian Cossacks, he has been awarded with the highest orders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church by Patriarch Filaret.
His contribution to global contemporary art has been recognised by numerous cultural and religious institutions, making him the most decorated artist and photographer of his time.
Having endured the darkness of Soviet prison camps and escaped communist tyranny, and standing firmly with the Caucasian peoples in their resistance to Russian occupation, Melnikoff has become a natural bridge between Christian and Muslim civilisations.
This grants him the moral right to speak the artistic language of the East and to approach the sacred words of the Qur’an with the utmost respect and reverence.
The press conference of the Soul of Ukraine, an International Charitable Foundation. The event was dedicated to a project to establish the Mother Teresa Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Albania for Ukrainian children who lost limbs and became disabled as a result of the war unleashed by the Russian Federation against the peaceful state of Ukraine.
From left to right: Sergey Melnikoff, founder of the Soul of Ukraine Foundation; Akhmed Zakayev, Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees; Ihor Kurylov, Director of the National Honored Academic Ukrainian Folk Choir named after Hryhoriy Veryovka and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Kyiv, November 2, 2024
Allah al-Akbar
A Contemporary Masterpiece Created in Honour of the Divine Name
IN PROGRESS
This page will be updated as the artwork Allah al-Akbar (Allah Is Great) progresses. The artwork is expected to be completed in March 2026.
The construction principle of the artwork. The Arabic inscription Allāhu Akbar (الله أكبر) used in the project reproduces a canonically correct form of writing approved by a Sharia council. The artistic composition and manner of execution constitute an authorial interpretation and do not alter the meaning or the theological correctness of the text.
Appeal from Mayrbek Taramov
Human Rights Adviser to the Government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria
December 4, 2025
Stockholm, Sweden
When Art Becomes an Act of Devotion
Some works of art carry within them more than beauty.
Some creations become a bridge to the Eternal.
They reflect the light of faith at moments when the world is overshadowed by darkness.
Allah al-Akbar is one such work: a piece at the intersection of spirituality, craftsmanship and humanitarian purpose.
It is not merely an artwork.
It is an offering.
A visual expression of reverence for the greatness of the Almighty.
Letter from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria to Sergey Melnikoff, conveying the Ichkerian government’s official support for the Allah al-Acbar art project.
The Seven Rays: A Cosmic and Spiritual Cipher
At the foundation of the work lies the artist’s signature method, the technique known as “Ashes of War.” Cut sections of 23-millimetre cannon casings—metal that has absorbed the very heat of conflict—are reshaped into seven radiant lines that unfurl from the centre like spokes of a celestial wheel.
The deliberate choice of seven is deeply symbolic. Across Islamic tradition, the number seven carries profound spiritual resonance:
— seven heavens;
— seven earths;
— seven verses of Surah Al-Fātiha, the essence of the Qur’an;
— seven stones cast at the pillars during Hajj;
— seven circuits around the Kaaba;
— seven doors of Jannah described in the hadith.
Seven is the number of divine harmony, completion, blessing, and protection.
Thus, the geometry of Allah is Great is not a matter of design alone; it is an invocation. The seven rays become a silent prayer embedded in metal—a wish for peace, prosperity, and spiritual unity.
Update · December 26, 2025
Preparations have begun for the production of the intricate double-frame ornamentation for the work Allah Is Great. The ornament will be constructed from the cut-off bases of 5.45-mm cartridge cases. Approximately 700 to 1,000 cartridges will be required.
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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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