Moleskines
art books / 2022
Courtesy of
Photo © Andrei Stsebureka, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Andrei Stsebureka, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Oleksandr Osipov, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Oleksandr Osipov, courtesy of the YermilovCentre 
Photo © Oleksandr Osipov, courtesy of the YermilovCentre
In 2015, Dmytro Kolomoitsev served in the ATO zone (Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone in Ukraine since 2014) and volunteered to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine when the full-scale invasion began. Despite the circumstances, the artist does not stop working during his service. Dmytro reinterprets the soldier's routine into an artistic statement: he creates art installations in his dugout, keeps visual diaries of the war, and the works created at the front are often filled with Vedic perception.
The project includes art books-diaries in which the artist records significant military events, scenes of soldiers' everyday lives, and his thoughts and statements. The notebook's compactness is the most convenient form for the creativity of a soldier who has to be mobile and cannot have a large arsenal of art supplies. Kolomoitsev's works are humorous, contributing to psychological relief and adding light in the most challenging moments.
The image of Taras Shevchenko is a counterpoint in all the moleskines. Kolomoitsev portrays it as a symbol, an iconic shrine that he deconstructs and brings closer to a mass-cultured society. The artist's myth-making regarding Ukrainian history also attracts attention.
The final notebook of the four presented notebooks is dedicated to victory, exploring it as a phenomenon. The author traces victory in historical events, small everyday achievements, and fictional stories. By visualizing the desired event, the artist turns a daily ritual into a means of overcoming the traumatic experience of war.