Icon panels by Simon Koopman are given a second life at a destroyed church in Ukraine

Koopman has been painting icons for decades and also gives courses. Icons are religious images that have their origins in the early Christian and Byzantine world. One of the students is Tatiana Malysheva, who fled to the Netherlands with her three children at the beginning of the war. “She also came here to paint and was surprised that icons are also painted here. This happens a lot more in Eastern Europe. While painting there is a tender peace in the studio and then she completely relaxes.”

Every week on her day off, she joins the other students. “I’m really looking forward to it. It’s nice to meet other people too,” she says.

Church completely destroyed

From Tatiana Koopman heard the story about the church St. Dmytro Sulugunsky in Kodaky, about 30 kilometers from Kiev. “That church was so destroyed that it could no longer be saved. It is now being rebuilt, the foundation has now been poured.” There is now a temporary temporary church nearby.

Koopman was upset by the story and decided to donate two of his panels. The works are 3.65 meters and 2.75 meters wide respectively and the panels depict prophets and apostles. “I made them about twelve years ago. I once received an envelope in the mail – I don’t know from whom – with all kinds of images of these prophets and apostles. And I once found the panels at my front door. Many people know that I paint icons. So you can see that very special things can happen with these panels.”

The panels will soon go to Ukraine via special transport. “Our house is for sale and taking it with us was not exactly an option. So I am happy that I can do this. Tatiana recently returned and showed images of the panels at the new church. The people are very happy with them, because they don’t have anything there anymore. That makes me good.”