In the Vatican, in the left wing of the Bernini Colonnade, the traditional annual exhibition “100 Presepi in Vaticano” has been on display for several days. Here you can see the work of craftsmen from different countries who, each in their own unique and unrepeatable way, have tried to depict the event of Christ’s birth. This year, two of the exhibition works are dedicated to Ukraine.
Svitlana Duhoviča – Vatican
Each one is different, but both have a message in common. One of the “Bethlehems” was created by the Italian sculptor Luciano Capriotti. It is a ceramic representation of the Holy Family, which has to flee from Herod’s persecution. The second representation is brought from the West of Ukraine and reflects the tradition of local craftsmen.
“Ukraine is an integral part of the Christian world, so its participation in the exhibition is very important. With the representation of Christ’s manger, the Ukrainian people have always tried to prove their deep Christian faith, love for God and the Church,” says Ukrainian Ambassador to the Holy See Andriy Yuraš, who has been taking care of his country’s representation at the exhibition for the second year.
The Italian Luciano Capriotti, lingering over the Holy Family depicted by himself, says: “You always have to run away from something unjust, from war and violence, so I wanted to depict three persons – Saint Joseph, who embraces Mary, while Mary holds a sweetly panting Child in her arms. The image is made from one piece of clay dough. At the foot of the sculpture, you can see two very small animals – a bull and a donkey, which remind us of the miracle of the Holy Night. The sculptor explains that this miracle is present in the loving gaze of the Mother of God looking at the sleeping child. On the other hand, in Saint Joseph’s gaze, worries and suffering are visible, his mind is busy with how to protect his family from danger. The image on the hood of St. Joseph’s cloak is symbolic, reminding us of the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt.
Various symbols can also be seen on the cloak that covers Saint Joseph’s shoulders – a mountain reminiscent of Calvary, inside it you can see mass graves with human bodies thrown on top of each other. In this way, the author of the sculpture reminds of the massacres that took place in Buch and other places in Ukraine. Above is a cross, from which blood flows and flows into the mass grave, and behind it are ears of corn – a sign of resurrection and rebirth. Near the cross, on its right and left sides, are two pieces of debris from the Russian missiles that bombarded Kharkiv. The artist presents the idea that these bodies, quickened by the blood from the cross, could somehow be reborn and resurrected, and they too would have Easter. This is exactly what the grain represents: sown in the ground, it grows into ears. Grain and ears are the symbol of Ukraine.
Luciano Capriotti says that his friendship with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic parish of St. Sophia in Rome and with its dean, Mark Semechen, was born from the symbol of the grain. Last year, during the year of the war, the sculptor created the exhibition “Angels of the Time of War” (Angeli del tempo di guerra), in which the angels were drawn by the children of Ukrainian refugees. The drawings used coal and ash that came from the enemy’s burned crop fields.
Luciano Capriotti is a cardiologist but sculpts in his spare time. “I’ve always listened to people’s hearts, but when I make sculptures, I listen to my own heart,” he says. For him, the process of creation means “letting emotions flow from the heart, hoping that something of these emotions remains in the material, the clay, the finished sculpture, which, in turn, could evoke emotions in the eyes and hearts of those who look at it.”
The second depiction of Bethlehem, dedicated to Ukraine, is brought from the war-torn country itself. Unlike the Italian artist’s work, which shows pain and suffering, this scene is created in bright and joyful colors and, as ambassador Juras explains, “it confirms the hope for rebirth, for the victory of good and light over all the forces of evil.” This “Bethlehemite” was created from wooden figurines in Yavoriv, Lviv region. It is an ancient craft tradition, included in the list of national cultural heritage of Ukraine. The Christmas tree decorations next to the mentioned “Nativity scene” are also made using the same technique.
In the terrible reality in which the Ukrainian people have to live now, Christmas with its central message is a moment to draw from the source of hope. “No one can live without hope,” emphasizes the ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See. He adds: “If there is no hope, there is no will to move forward. Faith, the Church, is without a doubt one of the most powerful spiritual inspirations that an individual or a whole community can receive. And in this context, representations of the birth of Christ are a very important part, which for many centuries carry a particularly strong emotional burden, provide a message of affirmation of life. “Bethlehem”, brought from Ukraine, shows that despite all the dangers of the war, despite the tragedies that the Ukrainian society is going through, there must be hope that all the dangers will pass, that a star will appear in the sky, the star of Bethlehem, the star of hope and without no doubt, the star of victory”.
The text was translated and prepared for publication by Inese Šteinert
2023-12-19 20:40:43
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