2024 #CranesForOurFuture Ukrainian artist Mariia Lapitan-Yashchenko on nuclear weapons: “It is absurd to create risks that can destroy us.”

Kyiv-based artist Mariia Lapitan-Yashchenko specializes in paper art, in addition to graphic and web design. For this year’s #CranesForOurFuture campaign, she contributed a paper art piece that highlights our collective responsibility to create a safer world without nuclear weapons. 

We appreciate all your hard work on the art piece for the Cranes campaign, Mariia! What interested you in this project? 

I’m not a politician or a public figure, but I am fortunate enough to be an artist, and art is a powerful tool to convey important messages. The issue of nuclear weapons is especially pressing today, as we see some leaders of nuclear weapon states turn weapons into tools of intimidation to pursue their harmful goals.

The central message of the piece I created is that world peace rests in the hands of each one of us. The very existence of humanity depends on our collective actions. Therefore, we must do everything within our power to preserve this peace. And it is especially crucial to work towards a future without nuclear weapons.

That’s an amazing message, and I think it really shines through. Can you share a bit about yourself and how you became an artist? 

I’m 29 years old and I live in Kyiv, Ukraine. I’ve loved drawing since childhood—my mom says I started drawing before I even learned to hold a spoon! I loved working with paper during art school, but after graduation I got jobs as a graphic designer and web designer.

Then, Russia’s attack changed everything; it shifted our realities and priorities. I realized I was burned out at my job and understood that every day could be the last. I wanted to do something that brought me joy, and that was paper art!

Wow, it sounds like the war changed your life in ways that would have been hard to imagine. What are things like on the ground today?

For us in Ukraine, we have lost so much during this period—dreams, opportunities, and human lives.

It may seem that life in Ukraine goes on as usual when you see photos of people drinking coffee in cafes and living seemingly normal lives. But many innocent people are dying every day. There are still regular Russian missile and drone attacks on cities where there is no fighting. Often, we can’t sleep at night because we must go down to the shelter in the middle of the night and spend hours there.

Putin’s nuclear threats are certainly alarming from a distance, but it sounds like conditions on the ground remain quite scary.  

Of course, we are frightened by the threat of nuclear weapons from Russia, as well as the danger that the Russians could destroy one of our nuclear power plants. One of them, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is still occupied.

But what scares us even more is how dictators have learned to manipulate the issue of nuclear weapons and how effective this manipulation has become. It terrifies us that the world is genuinely afraid of this threat and, in its fear, forgets that appeasing dictators only feeds their appetites and signals to others that they can act similarly.

In such difficult times, how do you find hope? 

I often ask myself the same question!

I load myself with work, I play sports, and I go hiking. Of course, spending time with family and friends is also great psychological support—the most important thing is not feeling lonely during these difficult times.

Another effective method for me is to think about our military at the front. They are there every day, rain or shine, without half the amenities and opportunities we have in relatively peaceful cities.

However, the most powerful motivation not to give up is that we have no other choice. Surrender would lead to even more deaths and genocide.

What can people around the world do to help? 

The most important thing that people can do is not be passive. Ignoring the problem does not make it go away. We all must strive for more justice. The world is changing, and autocracies are becoming increasingly aggressive. Everyone who shares democratic values should unite and support each other, regardless of whether their countries are separated by borders or oceans. We are all in this together.

Finally, what does a world without nuclear weapons mean to you? 

It would mean peace of mind for the safe future of my children and for humanity. It is very likely that my country would not be experiencing these difficult times if Russia did not possess nuclear weapons and if Putin did not feel so emboldened.

I am confident that the absence of nuclear weapons would reduce the risk of future wars, potentially saving millions, if not billions, of lives. It is absurd to create risks that can destroy us. We must strive to create a world of goodness, justice, and peace because it is our world to live in.