Russia’s Drone Attack on Lutsk Damages World’s Largest Painting—Ukraine’s 2,000-Square-Meter “Cosmogony”

Russia’s drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Lutsk on October 13 damaged Cosmogony, the largest work of painting in Ukraine and the largest painting in the world, after falling drone debris sparked a fire at the Adrenalin City entertainment complex, according to Suspilne on October 15.

The artwork was damaged after falling drone debris sparked a fire at the Adrenalin City entertainment complex, which houses the Museum of Modern Ukrainian Art.

Museum director Tetiana Repnytska told Suspilne that the fire damaged The Future, the final section of the six-part artwork, while the other thematic sections remained intact.

“By destroying art and culture, they are also trying to destroy Ukrainians. This is the largest painting in the world. Cosmogony covers an area of 2,000 square meters,” Repnytska said.

Despite the damage to the monumental painting, museum staff managed to protect much of the institution’s collection from the consequences of the attack.

According to art historian and the museum’s chief curator, Oles Tomakh, employees were forced to evacuate artworks during the fire, including pieces from an exhibition dedicated to Ukrainian artist Emma Andiievska .

“We had an exhibition of Emma Andiievska at Cosmogony, featuring more than 300 works. We began quickly removing them, but we couldn't get to some in time. However, only the glass was broken. Fortunately, all the other museum halls were undamaged,” Tomakh said.

The museum has yet to determine whether the damaged section of Cosmogony will be restored or replaced with a newly created segment.

Repnytska said the decision would be made by the artwork’s creators, emphasizing that the museum intends to continue its cultural activities despite Russian attacks.

“Despite the shelling, we will continue to develop contemporary Ukrainian art and preserve it,” the museum director said.

Cosmogony, by Ukrainian artist Petro Antyp, is one of Ukraine’s most ambitious contemporary art projects. Created over nearly two years at the Museum of Modern Ukrainian Art in Lutsk, the painting was officially recognized in September 2024 as the largest work of painting in Ukraine, surpassing the previous world record. Covering 2,086.5 square meters, the artwork exceeds the nearly 1,600-square-meter The Journey of Humanity, created by British artist Sasha Jafri in 2020.

The painting consists of six main thematic sections. These include The Beginning, depicting the origins of the universe; The Creation of Earth, illustrating the formation of the planet; The Creation of Nature, exploring the emergence of life; The Creation of Humanity, portraying human origins and development; The Creation of Society, examining the evolution of communities and civilization; and The Future, reflecting on humanity's relationship with the world and its future.

The project was launched in November 2022. Originally from Horlivka in the Donetsk region, Antyp relocated to the Kyiv region following the outbreak of Russia’s war against Ukraine in 2014 before settling in Lutsk after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

While Ukrainian cultural institutions continue to face damage from Russian attacks, art is also being used internationally to support those affected by the war, including Ukrainian children.

In a separate initiative, Beatles musician Paul McCartney contributed a lyric from his 1973 song Band on the Run to inspire a charity exhibition and auction featuring original works by more than 60 contemporary artists. Proceeds will support children affected by armed conflicts worldwide, including Russia’s war against Ukraine.

According to The Art Newspaper on October 8, McCartney selected the line “Well the rain exploded with a mighty crash as we fell into the sun” from Band on the Run, the title track of the 1973 album released by McCartney and his band Wings.

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