The massive painting “Cosmogony,” spanning over 2,000 square meters, was damaged in a shelling incident late on October 13 in Lutsk, Ukraine. Debris struck the museum, igniting a fire that firefighters from the State Emergency Service (DSNS) managed to contain, limiting the extent of the destruction.
Approximately one-sixth of the artwork, specifically the section titled “Future,” was partially destroyed. Fortunately, other exhibition halls and their artworks remained unharmed.
This monumental piece, created by artist Petro Antyp, is recognized by the museum as the largest painting in the world and set a national record in Ukraine in 2024. The project comprises six parts and explores three fundamental questions: where we came from, who we are, and what will happen to us.
Viktor Korsak, the museum’s founder and the project’s philosophical visionary, remarked, “War destroys not only what exists today but also what could have arisen tomorrow: human lives, dreams, discoveries, and opportunities.”
The museum is currently contemplating two options: to completely restore the damaged section or to preserve the evidence of the fire as a reminder for future generations about the consequences of war. Korsak stated, “Sometimes scars tell a story more than a restored surface.”
A final decision will be made after assessing the painting’s condition and consulting with Antyp and restoration experts.
