When a single small porcelain rooster, sitting atop a kitchen cupboard, survived the Borodianka bombing, it became a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance. So when Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelensky Each of them was given a present as a present while walking in Kyiv, and it had additional significance.
As the two leaders were wandering the eerily empty streets of the Ukrainian capital, surrounded by armed soldiers, a woman approached and handed them two ceramic jugs in the shape of a rooster.
“I’m from London,” said Johnson, the woman replied with a smile.
“I know, I’m from Kharkiv.”
The ceramic rooster was first designed by the famous Ukrainian artist and sculptor Prokop Pedasiuk, who worked at the local Majulika factory and made many dishes, vases, toys and other ceramic products.
Bidasiuk, born in 1895, his work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Folk Applied Arts.
When pictures of one of his ceramic cables that had survived the Borodianka bombing surfaced, they were adopted as a reflection of Ukraine’s resilience, and quickly became an internet meme.
Borodianka is located about 60 kilometers northwest of Kyiv and was so badly damaged by Russian bombing that survivors were left searching among the rubble for their loved ones.
On Thursday, Zelenskiy posted a video on Telegram, claiming that the situation in Borodianka was “much worse”. from BochaWhere pictures emerged of what appeared to be the deliberate killing of a civilian.
“Work has begun to clear the rubble in Borodianka… It is even more horrific there. Even more victims are Russian occupiers.
The image that sparked the adoption of a cockerel as a symbol showed a tall building that had partially collapsed under heavy bombardment.
The exposed kitchen cabinet survived intact, and somehow a rooster still stood over it among the ruins.
Stoic rooster on Borodyanka’s surviving obliterated kitchen cabinet: created by Prokop Bidasiuk (b. 1895), a prolific worker at the local ceramics factory in Vasylkiv. Vases, plates, toys, etc. His works are on display at the National Museum of Popular Applied Arts pic.twitter.com/05X3SoODqs
– Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) April 9, 2022
was johnson In Kyiv on an unannounced visitAnd he held meetings with the Ukrainian president to develop a new package of financial and military aid.
The visit came a day after Johnson announced another £100m in British military aid to Ukrainian forces, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.