The Silent Uprising of an Angel

Dedicated to the Ukrainian soldiers who never reached their twentieth year — young souls taken from the earth and received into eternity.

Work in Progress.
A work currently in production in the artist’s studio in Odesa.

This page documents the ongoing creation of a major work from the Ashes of War series. It brings together a live production timeline, technical documentation, process photography, and supporting materials, forming a complete record of the work as it advances toward completion.

About This Page

This is not a conventional artwork presentation.
It is a live project record.

Its purpose is to preserve the chronology of the work’s creation, to document its technical evolution, and to present the materials that accompany its development under wartime conditions.

Each stage shown here reflects actual progress in the artist’s studio in Odesa.

Context

This work is being created in Odesa, Ukraine, during an ongoing war.

Production has been affected by power outages and damage to infrastructure, requiring continuous adaptation of the working process.

Despite these conditions, the work continues to advance.

Daria Lopatina

The face of the Angel sculpture bears the likeness of Daria Lopatina, military call sign “Delta,”nineteen years of age, a defender of Ukraine, a soldier of the 12th Special Forces Brigade of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov.”

For the measure of a life is not in the multitude of its days, but in that which the soul will not forsake when the hour of darkness comes.

A Monument to Transcendence—Poised to Make History

The sculpture The Silent Uprising of an Angel is being crafted using a one-of-a-kind technique developed by MFF. The material for this winged figure consists of fragments of artillery shells and mines collected from active war zones in Ukraine.

The Silent Uprising of an Angel is not merely a sculpture in the making from fragments of war. It is a voice cutting through silence to proclaim: even from metal that once carried death, light can be born. There is no forgetting here — only transformation. And everyone who meets the gaze of this Angel will feel it: the spirit can rise, even when its wings are burned.

Project at a Glance

Creation of a wing of Sergey Melnikoff's sculpture ‘The Silent Uprising of an Angel'

Welding and structural assembly.

The Art of MFF | Viktor Bielchyk, master welder and collaborator of Sergey Melnikoff (MFF), examining shrapnel fragments delivered from the front lines at his workshop in Odesa, 2023. Photo by Mariia Universaliuk

Selection of fragments.

  • The Silent Uprising of an Angel — Visual Narrative →
The Silent Uprising of an Angel by Sergey Melnikoff, a.k.a. MFF, in progress.

“The Silent Uprising of an Angel” in progress.

Creation of a wing of Sergey Melnikoff's sculpture ‘The Silent Uprising of an Angel'

Current State of the Artwork as of 14 March 2026

Project Overview

Technical Specifications

Medium
Mixed metal (artillery fragments)

Technique
Ashes of War

Materials
Original battlefield fragments

Dimensions
200 × 140 cm (79 × 55 in)

Estimated weight
500 kg

Planned finish
Gold (999.9) and nickel electroplating, wings and base platform only

Status

Status
In progress

Started
May 2025

Current phase
Body of the sculpture

Completed
Wings

Estimated completion
December 2027

Location
Odesa, Ukraine

Provenance:
Held by The Soul of Ukraine Foundation, Inc. since its creation.

Attachment interfaces for two-metre wings, designed to ensure secure installation while allowing effortless removal for gold plating in an electroplating bath.