Russian drone debris damages monumental Ukrainian painting - in section titled ‘The Future’
Debris from a Russian drone damaged part of Cosmogony, a monumental painting covering more than 2,000 square meters, at the Korsaks' Museum of Contemporary Ukrainian Art in Lutsk, western Ukraine, on the evening of October 13.
The damaged section is titled The Future.
According to the museum, debris from the intercepted drone fell onto the building and caused a fire. Emergency crews extinguished the blaze, but part of the painting was destroyed.
The work, created by Ukrainian artist Petro Antyp from a concept developed by museum founder Viktor Korsak, covers 2,086 square meters (approximately 22,450 square feet). Measuring roughly 200 meters long and 10 meters high, it set a Ukrainian national record in 2024.
Cosmogony consists of more than 600 fragments exploring the origins of the universe, Earth, nature, humanity and society through myths, scientific theories and cultural symbols.
The museum said the damage was concentrated in the section called The Future. Other exhibition halls and artworks were unaffected.
“War destroys not only what exists today. It destroys what could emerge tomorrow: human lives, dreams, discoveries, opportunities,” Korsak said.
The museum is considering two options: restoring the damaged portion or preserving the fire damage as a reminder to future generations of the consequences of war.
A final decision will be made after an assessment of the painting and consultations with Antyp and restoration specialists.
Russian forces launched a jet-powered Shahed-type attack drone toward Volyn Oblast on October 13. Ukrainian defenses intercepted it, but debris fell in Lutsk, causing a fire at the Adrenalin City entertainment complex, where the museum is located.
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