On Memorial Day—a national holiday in the United States celebrated annually on the last Monday of May—a presentation-performance took place at St. Sophia Cathedral, dedicated to 118 American volunteers who lost their lives defending Ukraine from Russian invaders.

During the event, a Crucifix was unveiled—a work by Ukrainian artists Sonya Atlantova, Oleksandr Klymenko, and Herman Klymenko—dedicated sponsors of the project “Aybolit: On the Way to Recovery.”

On the reverse side of the Crucifix is depicted the Battlefield Cross—a symbolic military memorial composition used to honor the memory of those who have fallen in the U.S. Army.

One of the most symbolic moments of the ceremony was the inscription of the names of the fallen American heroes on memorial icons created by artists from crates used for ammunition, brought from the front lines.

“Inscribing names on the background of the icons is an actualization of the medieval tradition of St. Sophia Cathedral, as well as an act of gratitude to the sons of the American people,” explains Oleksandr Klymenko.

“On this Memorial Day, we remember those who sacrificed their lives for Ukraine, for freedom, and for the future of Ukrainian children,” says Victoria Kramarenko, head of the charitable organization “Wings of Victory” and the “Aybolit” project. “Among the fallen are those who requested to be buried on Ukrainian soil, as they found their love here and started families. Their bravery is in our memory. Their sacrifice is in our hearts.”

The event was attended by relatives and comrades of the fallen American heroes, as well as military personnel, public representatives, diplomats, and artists. The Crucifix is planned to be exhibited in the United States in the future.

The Crucifix is part of the project by artists Sonya Atlantova, Oleksandr Klymenko, and Herman Klymenko titled “Icons on Ammo Boxes,” dedicated to artistic meditations on the theme of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The main idea of the project is the transformation of death (symbolized by weapon crates) into life (traditionally represented by icons in Ukrainian culture).

Exhibitions of the icons created within this artistic project have taken place in 200 cities across nearly 30 countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.