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Along with the Royal Academy’s current and most comprehensive UK exhibition to date about Ukraine’s art, In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine, 1900-1930s, the British Society of Master Glass Painters continues to be a pioneering platform for publishing groundbreaking research on Ukraine’s stained glass. Over the past decade, the BSMGP’s Journal of Stained Glass has expanded the scholarly canon, achieving a longstanding ambition among art historians and giving Ukraine’s most fragile art medium a much-needed international voice.

An integral part of Ukraine’s 20th-century architecture – from Art Nouveau to Modernism and Postmodernism – the nation’s stained glass was shaped by cultural diversities and international relationships, along with political allegiances and Ukrainian cultural traditions. Demonstrating astonishing creativity in architectural glazing in all forms – from icon glass paintings and leaded stained glass windows to dalle-de-verre – this period has seen three waves of destruction. In the midst of the most dramatic period of Ukrainian history, when the losses of stained glass heritage have been tragically high, we continue the work of recognising Ukraine’s rightful place in the history of European stained glass.

The Journal of Stained Glass, Vol. XLVI (2022) presents a richly-illustrated cover article on ‘Stained Glass at War: Ukraine’s Experience’ by Dr Oksana Kondratyeva, as well as new research by Dr Iryna Gakh on the significant early 20th-century Ukrainian artist, Modest Sosenko.  

An update since publication from Dr Kondratyeva:

National Kyiv University

1) Institute of Biology and Medicine: Three of the five stained glass windows destroyed have been restored in Kyiv and re-installed. Damage had covered around 45% of a window area approximately nine square metres. The restored stained glass windows are currently dark and unlit – this is due to the increased attacks on electricity infrastructure and economy. Fundraising is ongoing to restore the remaining two windows.

2) Institute of Geography: Four of five stained glass windows were completely destroyed. No restoration to date due to lack of funding.

National Museum Kyiv Art Gallery

The stained glass lantern was destroyed by Russian missile attack on 7 October 2023. Its reconstruction is ongoing in London; Lamberts’ famous glasshouse (in Germany) has specially produced oversized sheets of flashed glass (red on clear) to enable the lantern’s restoration. It is crucially important not only to restore, but also to re-install artworks so that communities can see them in situ.