Picturesque Guide to Ukraine
“A blossoming land where a journey through war encountered human kindness.”
The Vinnytsia region lies in the heart of historic Ukrainian Podillia. It is a land of rolling fields, blossoming orchards, green hills, old towns and quiet villages. The Southern Bug River flows through the region, while Ukrainian traditions, folk crafts, architectural heritage and the memories of many generations are interwoven in its cultural character.
This land has many different faces. The Vinnytsia region reveals itself through historic estates and palaces, churches, railway towns, spring blossom, orchards, fertile soil and the distinctive culture of Podillia. The urban landscape of Vinnytsia exists alongside the region’s natural beauty, while historic landmarks remain part of the living traditions of modern Ukraine.
In Marina Stognieva’s original art project, the Vinnytsia region appears through several images: blossoming Ukrainian orchards, the architecture of Vinnytsia, evening city lights, cultural memory and traditional dance. Together, these paintings create a vision of a peaceful, colourful and living Ukrainian land.
Picturesque Guide to Ukraine is an original art project by Ukrainian artist Marina Stognieva. Each region of Ukraine is presented through her original paintings, personal notes, cultural stories, natural features and artistic observations.
The project includes original works of art devoted to every region of the country. These paintings do more than depict famous places and landscapes. Through colour, light and atmosphere, the artist seeks to convey the inner character and living spirit of the Ukrainian land.
The project is also being developed as a future book in which painting will be combined with personal memories, cultural and historical stories, and the artist’s own notes. Through its pages, readers from different countries will be able to travel across Ukraine and discover the heart of every region through art.
Discover More About the ProjectPersonal Story
My personal encounter with this region was brief, yet so powerful that it has remained in my memory forever. It took place on 24 March 2022, during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
That day, I was leaving Kyiv with my friend’s mother. Russian forces were attempting to encircle and capture the capital. We left the city to the sound of explosions, saw the Russian army shelling everything around us, and did not know where this journey would take us.
We did not buy tickets to a destination chosen in advance. We took whatever tickets were still available, and the only ones we could obtain were to Zhmerynka. When we arrived, we stayed in the railway station’s waiting room without any further plan and without knowing where we would go next.
When I stepped outside for some fresh air and walked onto the platform, I saw railway convoys carrying tanks and military equipment for the first time. They seemed endless. It was there, in Zhmerynka, that I became acutely aware of the true scale of the war — something far greater than the boundaries of one city, one journey or one human life.
Yet my encounter with the Vinnytsia region left me with more than fear, anxiety and uncertainty. It was also here that I encountered the human kindness that helped us continue our journey.
“It was in Zhmerynka that I first felt the scale of the war so deeply. Yet there, amid fear and uncertainty, I also encountered a human kindness that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Marina Stognieva, Ukrainian artist
A Memory of Humanity
A woman working at the station noticed how lost and uncertain we were and decided to help us. She found a way for us to continue our journey and arranged places for us on a train. At that moment, we hardly cared where we were going. The most important thing was to move farther away from danger.
We were fortunate: the train took us to Przemyśl in Poland. Zhmerynka therefore became more than a railway stop. It became an important point on our journey from war-torn Ukraine towards a safer place.
I do not know the name of the woman who helped us, but in my thoughts I thank her and all the kind people I met along the way. Sometimes a single human act becomes a light that helps us pass through the darkest of times.
Future Publication
The chapter devoted to the Vinnytsia region is already taking shape as part of the future book. It brings together Marina Stognieva’s original paintings, cultural stories, images of blossoming Ukrainian orchards, the architecture of Vinnytsia and a personal memory of Zhmerynka.
Artistic Image of the Region
In the painted chapter devoted to the Vinnytsia region, the land is revealed through blossoming Ukrainian orchards, the architecture of Vinnytsia, evening city lights, cultural heritage and traditional dance. Each work conveys a different aspect of the region, while together they create its bright and multifaceted artistic image.
Spring blossom becomes a symbol of renewal, hope and the continuity of life. Architectural motifs preserve the memory of the city, while the light of the fountains and the rhythm of dance fill the chapter with movement, music and a sense of celebration.
This is how the Vinnytsia region appears in the project — green, blossoming, culturally rich and filled with life. It is an image of peaceful Ukraine that deserves to be protected, introduced to the world and preserved on the pages of the future book.
Emotional Portrait
Not an encyclopaedic description, but a collection of personal images, cultural associations and feelings that form an artistic portrait of the region.
Colour
White and pink orchard blossom, fresh greenery and golden sunlight.
Scent
Blossoming apple trees, spring grasses, fresh soil and the air after rain.
Sound
The rhythm of railway wheels gradually transforming, in art, into the rhythm of a Ukrainian dance.
Symbol
A blossoming orchard, a road and a human hand extended in help.
Place of Gratitude
Zhmerynka railway station — the place where, amid anxiety and uncertainty, an unknown woman helped us continue our journey towards safety.
Feeling
Anxiety and gratitude, uncertainty and hope, the memory of war and faith in the continuation of life.
Art Collection
The Vinnytsia chapter includes original paintings by Marina Stognieva devoted to the architecture of Vinnytsia, blossoming Ukrainian orchards, cultural memory, evening city lights and the image of a peaceful homeland.
Each artwork can be opened individually to read its story, explore its details and enquire about purchasing the original or ordering a signed collectable fine art print.
Future Publication
Original paintings devoted to the architecture of Vinnytsia, blossoming orchards, cultural memory and images of the city.
The artist’s personal story about Zhmerynka and her journey from Kyiv on 24 March 2022.
Cultural and historical stories about Podillia, its notable figures, architecture and natural features.
Stories behind the paintings and explanations of the images, moods and symbols found within the artworks.
The Artist’s Perspective
In my memory, the Vinnytsia region will always be connected with a railway journey. I saw it at a time when thousands of Ukrainians were leaving their homes without knowing what awaited them. For me, Zhmerynka railway station became a place of anxiety, an awareness of the scale of the war and, at the same time, profound gratitude.
There is also another Vinnytsia region — the one I discover through painting. It blossoms with Ukrainian orchards, shines with evening lights, preserves historic architecture and resonates with the music of traditional dance. This image does not deny what was experienced. It reminds us what Ukraine continues to fight for.
For me, a blossoming orchard is more than a beautiful landscape. It is a symbol of a land that survives winter and returns to life once again. Dance is more than a festive subject: it represents movement forward, inner strength and a cultural memory that cannot be destroyed.
This chapter therefore brings together two realities: a journey made during wartime and a peaceful Ukraine preserved in paint. Between them remains human kindness — the light that helps us hold on to hope even in the darkest of times.
Interesting Facts
Vinnytsia Oblast was established on 27 February 1932, but the history of these lands reaches much further into the past. The region forms part of historic Podillia, where traces of Trypillia culture, the Scythian and Sarmatian eras, medieval towns, fortresses, churches and palaces have been preserved.
Ukrainian writer Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi was born in Vinnytsia. The region is also closely connected with composer Mykola Leontovych, creator of the internationally celebrated “Shchedryk”, and poet and human rights activist Vasyl Stus, who was born in the village of Rakhnivka.
Fertile soil, rivers and a favourable location encouraged people to settle here from ancient times. During different historical periods, Ukrainian, Polish, Jewish and Moldovan communities lived and interacted across the region. Their presence influenced the architecture, crafts, music, cuisine and cultural character of Podillia.
Near the town of Illintsi lies one of the oldest meteorite craters on Earth. The Illintsi astrobleme formed approximately 400 million years ago when a large cosmic body collided with the rocks of the Ukrainian Shield. The original crater measured around seven kilometres in diameter.
The Southern Bug is one of the Vinnytsia region’s principal natural waterways. In ancient times, the river was known as Boh or Hypanis. Its banks, granite outcrops, islands, green valleys and riverside towns form a recognisable part of the region’s natural character.
The development of Zhmerynka is closely connected with the construction of the Kyiv–Balta railway in the second half of the nineteenth century. The first railway station began operating in 1870, and Zhmerynka gradually became one of the largest railway junctions in Right-Bank Ukraine.
Explore Ukraine
The Vinnytsia region is one of the 27 regions featured in the original “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine” project. Continue your journey through its pages, discover other regions and encounter Ukraine through Marina Stognieva’s original paintings.
“Picturesque Guide to Ukraine” is being developed as a long-term international art project introducing the culture, nature and history of Ukraine to the world through original paintings.
The artist welcomes collaboration with museums, cultural foundations, galleries, educational institutions, charitable organisations and private collectors who share the vision of promoting Ukrainian culture internationally.
Contact
For enquiries about supporting the project, collaboration, art projects, purchasing original paintings or ordering signed collectable fine art prints, please contact Marina Stognieva directly.
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“I believe that art can preserve not only images of the Ukrainian land, but also the memory of the people whose light helps us pass through the darkest of times.”
Marina Stognieva • Ukrainian artist
