Still
Standing
"Still Standing" is a project about the struggle
and unbreakable spirit of Ukrainian people.
by Elena Rabkina
The work "Still Standing" is dedicated to the unbreakable spirit of Ukrainian people. Apart of being the typical plant in Ukraine, no matter the conditions – sunflowers will always tend to keep their heads high and reach the sky.
It is also typical in Ukrainian villages to use bandaging in sunflower seeds harvest, so that the seeds don't fall out.
Performance "Still Standing" develops the topic of the war in Ukraine and incorporates artist's personal experience of being the Red Cross Odessa volunteer. Elena became a volunteer in 2020 in need of legalisation in Ukraine after running from the regime of Lukashenko in Belarus. The main condition for the volunteer was to finish the Entry Volunteer Course on the First Aid.
Now being unable to use her skills, as the artist can't enter Ukraine due to her passport, it's a symbolic way to express the support for the nation and through visual narrative show the scale of the war consequences in Ukraine.
