JustaCynicalRomantic

The recent example of the Russian couple holding up an no war sign during a marriage proposal on top of a tower is probably the clearest example of this. It's the kind of thing that easily fits booktok aesthetics and inspires edits where people imagine themselves in that moment, while completely ignoring the fact that it didn't actually help anyone or change anything. In terms of real impact, it's on the same level as posting a black square on Instagram.

There was no attempt to raise money for actual aid or direct people toward organizations that are genuinely helping.

It's simply a nice gesture — an activist version of "let them eat cake", where having a beautiful, symbolic moment matters more than creating real change.

It's a form of privileged activism where actually changing the situation isn't the important part.

The actions of Ukrainians during a genocidal war are the complete opposite. They're focused on actually saving lives, which makes the contrast even more obvious by showing what genuinely helps and what doesn't. For people who are invested in this kind of activism, acknowledging that difference would require rethinking their own beliefs, so it's often easier to simply ignore those actions instead.

Another reason for this is that these Russians are living peacefully in other countries, in circumstances much closer to the everyday lives of Western audiences. They're simply easier for them to relate to than Ukrainians living through war.

I've also often heard Ukrainian activists say that they have to think very carefully about how to communicate with this part of the Western audience. For many of them, almost everything is considered "outside of politics" and the war is reduced to "two presidents having a conflict". Because of that, even lectures about Russia's cultural genocide against Ukraine have to be framed in ways that won't upset people who insist on separating Russian culture from politics, even when that framing directly contradicts the reality of Russia's actions against other nations.

Honestly, it reminds me of how many of these same activists reacted to the protests in Iran.

not only did our families live through the horror that was the ussr but now we gotta be reminded of that shit constantly in the community that we're supposed to share as queer people

not to mention that the ussr wasnt even communist it was just fascist. why are u communists using the symbols of fascists. it just looks like ur idolizing a fascist state.

I woke up with glass shards all around me and a door from another room that collided with mine, almost barricading me inside my bedroom. Every window and door in the apartment was blown out by the explosion. My family's car burned to the crisp. The entrance door of the flat was stuck and people have spent 40 minutes trying to break it open with hammers and axes.

Despite great material damage, miraculously, me and my family wasn't injured. Even my laptop and drawing tablet have somehow survived, despite being left right by the window. And, thankfully, I have another place to go to, where I'll be living full-time from now on.

The only thing I want to tell you guys, remember that Russia is a terrorist state. That night dozens of people have died and even more got injured or lost their every possession. I was lucky to only suffer material losses. Attacks like this one have been happening since 2014 on the east side of Ukraine and for four years now all over the country and will continue. Our UNESCO protected landmarks are being destroyed and whole cities are being wiped out by missiles and drones.

Please, be mindful and avoid supporting russian organisations, and don't spread misinformation about the war. This is very important, because info war is just as much of a real part of the war as physical destruction is. If you have the means to, donate to Ukrainian volunteers. Support those who are dear to you.

The "situation" is your country committing genocide against Ukraine.

You can't even be honest on your own Tumblr page. And your clients might end up funding, through the taxes you pay with their money or through your own donations to your country's army (because some westerners quickly forget that a person can actually support their country's actions, especially when they phrase things like this), the continued killing of ukrainians.

so i decided to sit down and think about how this war that russia started to destroy Ukraine affected me besides the obvious things like suffering from air strikes daily or being force to relocate abroad. so here's the list

- my home town of Kherson was occupied and is now under constant bombings and citizens are suffering from the human safari that russians do for fun and love of suffering - the theater where i performed and visited as a child - was hiе by a bomb - the maternity hospital where i was born was hit by a bomb - a relative of mine was killed by rocket strike - my uncle's family had to escape their village because russians were coming for them since he was a former military and all military people and their families were primary targets for russians to interrogate, torture and kill - my godmother's and another uncle's family had to do the same for the same reason - both of those villages are still occupied to this day - multiple houses in my neighborhood including my own house one way or another were damaged by shelling or explosions

Without further ado:

Ivan Aivazovsky: an Appropriated Ukrainian Armenian Marinist

Let's start with the fact that his name was not Ivan Aivazovsky; his real birth name was Hovhannes Aivazian (Armenian: Հովհաննես Այվազյան), and he was a son of an Armenian merchant from Galicia, a region that has historically had a large Armenian population. Aka, a Galician Armenian. Even that name spelling is Galician, too.

The inside of the Armenian Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary in Lviv (I've been there!)

Then why on earth do we even call him Ivan Aivazovsky, you ask? Good question!

To conform to the Russian-speaking environment of the Russian Empire, of course.

Why did he study in Saint Petersburg, then? Cause everyone and their mother did, since they literally had zero choice. No, seriously. Russian Empire didn't allow an academy of arts to be established in Ukraine, so most prominent Ukrainian artists at the time were forced to study in Saint Petersbourg. That's where he was first called Ivan, btw.

The artist himself didn't want to live in Saint Petersburg at all (a trait that you will actually find common across Ukrainian artists and cultural figures forced to live and study there). He loved Feodosia (Theodosia), Crimea, above all else, and even divorced his first wife due to not wanting to live in so called "cultural capital".

Can't really blame him, personally.

"But he painted russia!" Someone will say.

He was appointed as an official Russian Navy painter. It was his job. And aside from his literal job, he seldom painted russian landscape. You know what landscape and whose traditions he did paint a lot, though?

Uh-huh. Yeah.

Just look at this:

A Wedding in Ukraine. 1892.

You can tell it is a Ukrainian landscape, not even by the name, but by the white houses with thatched roofs and the clothes on the people, but also by the rather symbolic prevalence of blue and yellow (trust me, we'll return to that)

Don't believe me? Okay, here's another one:

Chumaks (Ukrainian salt merchants) in Malorossya (russian imperial name for Ukraine). 1890

You know what, there is one very peculiar painting of russia, though. One that was actually gifted by the artist himself to Emperor Nicholas I and that for some strange reason was only exhibited twice in russia:

Fire in Moscow. 1812 (quite possibly one of my favourite of his paintings for a reason)

The freaking irony? Burning Moscow? Gifted to its emperor?? Blue and yellow?

Oh. My. God!

Add to the fact that, as I've said, the work was exhibited in russia only twice: at the exhibition immediately after its painting and at the Tretyakov Gallery in 2016 at the exhibition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the artist.

I wonder why.

Not to mention the author criticised russia in other paintings, such as this one, describing a famine in russia that they couldn't stop without the help of the USA:

Food Distribution. 1892

This one and another one, "The Relief Ship" or The Arrival of the Steamer "Missouri", 1892, were actually fully forbidden from being exhibited in russia, probably because they're a reminder of the worthlessness of the monarch who provoked the famine.

But of course, we love Aivazian for his marine paintings. I know you've probably all seen The Ninth Wave, but there are some I would rather introduce you to.

Crimean Tatars on the Seashore. 1850

This one showcases Aivazian's connection to Crimean Tatars, or Qırımtatarlar, the indigenous people of Crimea, Ukraine. Plus, what a breathtaking sunset. I long for the Black Sea just from looking at it, and it's hard for me to even imagine how a displaced Qirimli must feel 🫂

Valley of Mount Ararat. 1882

This one is not of the sea, but there's something so profound in how he paints his historical homeland. Look at these colours. They're soft, gentle, almost.

I am not Armenian, but that's probably how I'd paint the homeland I miss. Speaking of that:

Reeds on the Dnieper near the town of Oleshki. 1857

Dnipro. My sweet, sweet Dnipro. I live next to this river, and God, how much I miss it all the time studying abroad. There's nothing quite like that river to me in he whole wide world. (Notice the blue and yellow again btw?)

Last but not least, to feed into my second obsession:

Battle of Cesme at Night. 1848

Cause I want to and I will make a fanart of the Burning of the Ships from the Silmarillion based on this one, that's why.

So, in conclusion:

1. Hovhannes Aivazian was born into a family of a Ukrainian Armenian.

2. He didn't really have much choice in studying in Saint Petersburg, a city he hated, and changing his own name.

3. His job was painting russian military ships (and we all know where these go), but his own paintings depict lives of Ukrainians (with the whole blue and yellow theme), Qirimli and Armenians, as well as criticism of the Russian Empire (the burning Moscow one is insane).

So now you know why Hovhannes Aivazian is a Ukrainian Armenian painter, or at least no less so than a russian one, if not more.

Hey! Apparently I write articles on decolonising Ukrainian art now, too! You should check this one out, it's about Malevych!

Thanks for reading!