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Picturesque Guide to Ukraine

Zakarpattia through the eyes of Ukrainian artist Marina Stognieva

“Mountains, historic towns, wooden churches, the sound of the trembita and living traditions — Zakarpattia has a rhythm of its own, one that invites you not only to see it, but to feel it.”

Painted images of Zakarpattia
Zakarpattia in painting: the Carpathians, people, folk traditions, towns and historic places.

Discovering Ukraine

Zakarpattia — the land beyond the Carpathians

Zakarpattia is a land of mountains, historic towns and living traditions. Here the Carpathians descend into valleys, wooden churches appear among green hillsides, and the streets of Mukachevo and Uzhhorod preserve traces of different historical eras.

Here the connection between nature and everyday life can be felt almost everywhere: a shepherd on a mountain meadow, the sound of a trembita, a spring round dance, an embroidered shirt, an old castle, a city in bloom. It is from these individual images that a painted portrait of Zakarpattia begins to emerge.

Future Publication

Zakarpattia on the pages of the future book

Images of Zakarpattia are gradually moving from paintings onto the pages of the “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”.

Spread from the future book Picturesque Guide to Ukraine dedicated to Zakarpattia
A spread from the future book “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”, dedicated to Zakarpattia

Painting Collection

Original Paintings of Zakarpattia

Below are paintings by Marina Stognieva created for the Zakarpattia section of the “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine” project. Through them, the region unfolds through the Carpathians, its people, folk traditions, towns and historic places.

Trembita Call of the Carpathians painting

Voice of the Carpathians

“Trembita. Call of the Carpathians”

Oil on paper

The figure of a trembita player among the mountains transforms the ancient instrument into the voice of the Carpathian landscape. Its sound seems to travel across slopes and valleys.

Ukrainian Girl in a Wreath and Vyshyvanka painting

Ukrainian Image

“Ukrainian Girl in a Wreath and Vyshyvanka”

Oil on paper

A floral wreath, long colourful ribbons and a vyshyvanka create a vivid image in which tradition meets a lively contemporary character.

Hutsulka Portrait of a Ukrainian Woman painting

Carpathian Portrait

“Hutsulka. Portrait of a Ukrainian Woman”

Oil on paper

At the heart of the work is the woman’s character — her traditional clothing, calm presence and inner dignity.

Shepherd's Lunch Life in the Carpathians painting

Life Among the Mountains

“Shepherd’s Lunch. Life in the Carpathians”

Oil on paper

A simple pause among the mountains becomes a scene of everyday Carpathian life — a person, work, food and the vast landscape surrounding them.

Ukrainian Spring Round Dance Hayivka painting

Spring Tradition

“Ukrainian Spring Round Dance ‘Hayivka’”

Oil on canvas

A spring round dance beside a wooden church conveys a living tradition of welcoming spring through movement, song, embroidered clothing and a shared circle.

Cherries Are Blooming in Uzhhorod painting

Spring in Uzhhorod

“Cherries Are Blooming in Uzhhorod”

Oil on paper

Blossoming trees transform the urban landscape, filling it with light and that brief feeling of spring that returns to Uzhhorod each year.

Palanok Castle Mukachevo painting

History of Mukachevo

“Palanok Castle”

Oil on canvas

The castle rising above Mukachevo becomes a reminder of centuries that have left their traces in the architecture of the city and the region.

Interesting Facts

Zakarpattia revealed through its details

A Land at the Crossroads of Cultures

The history of Zakarpattia developed at the crossroads of different states and cultures. Ukrainian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian, Jewish and other traditions have left visible traces in the region’s architecture, cuisine, languages and everyday life.

Trembita — the Voice of the Mountains

The trembita is a long wooden wind instrument of the Carpathians. Its sound can travel over great distances through the mountains, so historically it was used not only for music, but also to send signals across valleys and highland pastures.

The Artist’s Personal Story

My First Zakarpattia. Mukachevo

I was born in the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, so my first journey to Zakarpattia felt like a real encounter with the opposite side of my country. I first visited Mukachevo when I was eighteen. I have remembered the city ever since.

What struck me in Mukachevo was not modernity, but the sense of preserved time. It seemed as though the city existed in several eras at once: in its old façades, architectural lines, squares and streets, something remained of the Europe I had previously seen only in photographs.

At that time I had never been abroad, so for a young woman from eastern Ukraine it felt almost like entering another world — unfamiliar, beautiful and slightly fairytale-like. I found it extraordinary that all of this existed within the borders of the same country.

About the Art Project

“Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”

“Picturesque Guide to Ukraine” is a large-scale original project by Ukrainian artist Marina Stognieva, dedicated to the different regions of the country.

The project is also developing into a future book in which painting will be combined with stories of places, cultural and historical information, interesting facts and personal observations.

Collecting Art

Original Paintings and Collectible Fine Art Prints

Availability of a selected original artwork and information about purchasing it can be confirmed directly with the artist.

For many paintings, a collectible fine art print signed by the artist can also be ordered. Size, material and other details are arranged individually.

View Fine Art Prints

Future Publication

Open to Proposals and Discussions

The book direction of the “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine” project is currently in development. The artist is considering proposals for its future publication and is open to collaboration with publishing houses, cultural institutions, partners and art patrons.

If you are interested in the preparation, partnership or publication of the book, please get in touch directly to discuss possible forms of collaboration.

Explore Ukraine

Continue the Artistic Journey

Discover other regions of the large-scale original project “Picturesque Guide to Ukraine”.

You May Also Be Interested

Learn More and Support the Project

Art Purchases, Partnerships and Future Publication

Contact the Artist

To purchase an original painting, order a collectible fine art print signed by the artist, support the project or propose a collaboration, contact Marina Stognieva directly.

The project is also open to discussions regarding the future publication of the book and partnerships with publishing houses, cultural institutions and art patrons.

Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram:
+380 93 520 74 31

Phone for calls in the UK:
+44 7596 724323

Email:
art_stognieva@ukr.net


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