“Sea of Azov” – Original Ukrainian Seascape by Marina Stognieva

The Story Behind the Painting

“Sea of Azov” is an original landscape painting by Ukrainian artist Marina Stognieva, created in 2025. The work is painted in oil on 300 g/m² paper, measures 21 × 30 cm, and belongs to the artist’s large-scale project “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”, dedicated to the regions of Ukraine, their nature, history, culture, and the artist’s personal perception of each place.

The painting belongs to the section devoted to the Donetsk region of Ukraine and reveals a very different side of the region — not industrial, but natural and lyrical. A narrow path runs through tall coastal grasses and leads directly toward the Sea of Azov, while the sun slowly melts into the horizon.

General view of the painting “Sea of Azov”. Oil on 300 g/m² paper, 21 × 30 cm, 2025.

The composition is arranged so that the path seems to invite the viewer into the landscape. It begins almost at the lower edge of the painting, passes between the grasses, and gradually leads the eye toward the sea. This creates a strong sense of personal presence — as though only a few more steps are needed to reach the shore.

The tall grasses on both sides of the path are painted with loose, energetic brushstrokes. Greens, yellows, blues, and darker tones overlap and merge, creating the impression of moving coastal air. Thin stems rise against the sky and give the composition a lively natural rhythm.

The main source of light in the painting is the sunset. The sun touches the horizon and seems to dissolve into it, scattering yellow, golden, pink, violet, and blue tones across the sky. Near the horizon, the colours remain warm and luminous, while the upper part of the sky deepens into an intense blue.

Detail of the painting “Sea of Azov” — sunset over the horizon.

The sea reflects the changing colours of the sky. Blue, silvery, pink, and greenish brushstrokes create a shimmering surface in which the light is constantly shifting. Marina Stognieva does not describe the water literally — the sea is built through colour, movement, and the sensation of open space.

An important element of the work is the feeling of transition. The day has not yet fully ended, but the sun is already disappearing at the horizon. The light becomes softer, the colours more complex, and an ordinary coastal landscape is transformed for a few brief moments into a space between day and evening.

The path leading toward the sea can be read simply as part of the landscape, but it may also be perceived as a symbol of a journey. It creates a feeling of movement forward — toward open space, light, and the horizon. This motif gives the relatively intimate format of the painting a sense of depth and distance.

“Sea of Azov” presents the Donetsk region as quiet, luminous, and deeply connected with nature. It is an image beyond the region’s familiar industrial associations — sea, coastal grasses, evening sky, and a path toward the water. The painting preserves the calm of that brief moment when the sun disappears and the landscape still holds its warmth.

Within the large-scale artistic project “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”, this work adds a natural dimension to the portrait of the Donetsk region. Alongside mining towns, industrial history, and architecture, the Sea of Azov appears as a space of light, water, grasses, and an open horizon.

→ Explore the Donetsk Region in “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”

→ Discover the “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine” project

Artwork Details

Original Artwork & Collectible Fine Art Prints

The painting “Sea of Azov” is an original artwork by Marina Stognieva, painted by hand in oil on heavyweight 300 g/m² art paper and existing as a unique one-of-a-kind work.

Collectible Fine Art Prints personally signed by Marina Stognieva may also be available for selected works. Available formats, materials, prices, and other details can be discussed before ordering.

Payment & Worldwide Shipping

Payment can be made via PayPal, bank transfer, or another agreed method.

Worldwide shipping is available. Shipping costs and estimated delivery times are calculated individually depending on the destination and order details.

The artwork on paper is carefully packaged to protect the painted surface and ensure safe transportation. All purchase, payment, and international shipping details can be discussed directly with the artist before ordering.

“I wanted to capture that brief moment when the path leads toward the sea, the sun touches the horizon, and the sky and water become one field of colour for just a few minutes. For me, the Sea of Azov is light, silence, and the feeling of an open horizon.”

— Marina Stognieva