Viktor Mikhalev takes discarded guns and ammunition and turns them into 'flowers of war', making the art as a keepsake and a souvenir of the war in Ukraine.
abc.net.au/news/ukraine-blacksmith-broken-guns-ammunition-flowers-of-war/102078310A blacksmith in the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk is practically beating swords into ploughshares, and turning trash into treasure.
Fierce fighting has focused on the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, and the city of Donetsk itself also has frequently been hit by shelling. The smell of iron and paint permeates Mr Mikhalev's workshop, which is decorated from floor to ceiling with dozens of religious icons.A customer holds a rose made by Viktor Mikhalev.
"Real flowers will not last long, and my roses will become a reminder for a long memory," the blacksmith says.A month later, he exhibited his war art in a Donetsk museum.Since then, he has constantly been making what he calls "flowers of war". In addition, he constructs stands for writing pens from parts of a grenade launcher and cartridge case.
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