Picturesque Guide to Ukraine
“Steppe and sea, coal and salt, great cities and protected nature — the Donetsk region unfolds in painting as a multifaceted part of Ukraine.”
Discovering Ukraine
The Donetsk region is one of the most contrasting regions of Ukraine. It is often associated primarily with coal, mines, metallurgy and large industrial cities. Yet its true character is far broader: open steppe, the Donetsk Ridge, chalk slopes above the Siverskyi Donets River, salt deposits, pine forests, protected landscapes and the coast of the Sea of Azov.
Donetsk, Mariupol, Bakhmut, Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and other cities have formed the region’s complex urban and cultural landscape. Alongside its industrial history, the Donetsk region preserves Ukrainian traditions, the culture of the Greeks of the Azov region, the memory of mining families, fishing stories and the distinctive character of the steppe.
The Donetsk region can be both austere and gentle, monumental and quiet. It brings together the energy of industrial cities, human labour, the warmth of the sunlit steppe, the sea wind and a sense of the open horizon. This multifaceted character lies at the heart of the region’s painted chapter.
About the Art Project
“Picturesque Guide to Ukraine” is a large-scale authorial project by Ukrainian artist Marina Stognieva, dedicated to every region of the country. Here, Ukraine is revealed not only through famous landmarks and geographical names, but also through painting, colour, light, human stories and the distinctive character of each place.
The paintings form a unique artistic map of Ukraine. Cities and villages, architecture and nature, work and leisure, historical memory and everyday life exist side by side. Each artwork conveys not only the appearance of a place, but also the atmosphere, emotion or image associated with it.
The project is also being developed as a future book. In it, original paintings will be combined with cultural and historical information, fascinating facts, personal observations and stories about different parts of Ukraine. It will offer readers an opportunity to travel through the country page by page and discover it through art.
Future Publication
This book-spread design shows how original paintings, images of the region and short stories will come together in the future publication “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”.
Images of the Collection
Donetsk, its urban architecture, high-rise buildings and Donbas Arena represent the modern city and its recognisable silhouette.
Miners’ work, coal landscapes and the people whose lives have been connected with the industrial history of Donbas for generations.
Sunflowers, the steppe landscape, family leisure and the tradition of gathering together outdoors reveal the warm and deeply human side of the region.
Fishing scenes, the warm waters of the Sea of Azov, swans and the albatrosses of the Bilosaraiska Spit fill the collection with light and space.
Painting Collection
The following original paintings by Marina Stognieva are dedicated to the cities, people, nature and cultural character of the Donetsk region. Each work can be opened separately, allowing visitors to explore its details, read its story and learn about purchasing the original artwork.
Purchasing Art
The paintings presented in the Donetsk region chapter are original artworks by Marina Stognieva. Please contact the artist directly to confirm the availability of a selected painting and enquire about purchasing it.
A collectible fine art print personally signed by the artist can also be ordered for many of the paintings. Available formats, materials and other details are discussed individually.
View Fine Art PrintsInteresting Facts
The name “Donbas” comes from the Donets Coal Basin, which extends beyond the administrative boundaries of the Donetsk region. Donbas and the Donetsk region are closely connected, but they are not exact geographical synonyms.
The Azov region became home to a large Greek community whose history there dates back to the late eighteenth century. Greek settlements, cuisine, music, family traditions and linguistic heritage shaped the distinctive cultural character of Mariupol and the surrounding villages.
A Personal Memory
I began discovering the Donetsk region during my childhood. In 1993, when I was eight years old, my family and I travelled to the coast of the Sea of Azov for the first time. Our journey took us through Donetsk, where I suddenly encountered a modern city on a scale unlike anything I had seen before.
Tall apartment buildings, brightly coloured shop signs, foreign cars and even a convertible appeared to me, an eight-year-old girl, like scenes from another world. Donetsk impressed me with its urban rhythm, but the most important encounter was still ahead — my first meeting with the sea.
We travelled to the Sea of Azov in large groups of family and friends. At that time, there were far fewer holiday centres along the coast, so many people stayed in tents. Those journeys carried a special sense of freedom, simplicity and closeness to nature.
It was there that I first felt the warmth of the sea waves, saw the endless horizon and began spending long moments observing sunsets and the changing evening light.
At the Bilosaraiska Spit, I saw albatrosses for the first time. Their flight above the water became forever connected in my memory with the sea and freedom. Many years later, this memory found expression in the painting “Albatrosses. Bilosaraiska Nature Reserve”.
Explore Ukraine
Discover other regions featured in the large-scale authorial project “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”.
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Purchases, Orders and Collaboration
To purchase an original painting, order a collectible fine art print signed by the artist, support the project or propose a collaboration, please contact Marina Stognieva directly.
Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram:
+380 93 520 74 31
United Kingdom:
+44 7596 724323
Email:
art_stognieva@ukr.net
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