“Before the start of the war, I prepared the canvas, but now there is no inspiration. Now the main thing is to defeat the enemy,” - NGU soldier Roman
The soldier, who taught art studies before the war and commissioned paintings using the technique of modern graphics, recalls the first hours during the full-scale Russian invasion. After returning from Luhansk region, where he performed combat duties for about two months, at home the marsupial continued to serve and improve his military skills.
Roman Nefedov is an architect by education with a master's degree. He was engaged in painting, taught at a local art school until he received a summons to the army. The guy did not even try to seek a postponement, but on the contrary went to the military registration office and in November last year signed a contract with the National Guard.
“Since mid-January we have been in the Luhansk region. I remember standing in uniform on February 24, and in the place where I was, shelling started. We were told that we could shoot at soldiers wearing red bandages — and from that moment it all started,” Roman recalls.
The soldier with other fighters was on the territory of Luhansk region for more than two months. Their positions, which were in the city, were regularly fired by Russian troops from heavy artillery and tanks.
“At the checkpoint, we stopped the car of the father and the mother, who seemed suspicious to us. So we started checking and in their phones we found photos of all our positions from the nearest cities. For further verification, we called the SBU,” the soldier says.
After returning to his hometown, Roman continued to serve at checkpoints, where he stops cars, checks documents, luggage and waybills, and detects drivers who are drunk or intoxicated. In his spare time, he attends classes, which are conducted with personnel by instructors with combat experience.
“Training is different, particularly in military medicine. That is, what needs to be done with a shrapnel wound or if the leg is torn off. How to properly apply a tourniquet, stamp the wound. We also practice elements of hand-to-hand combat, tactics, conduct shootings, that is, we are constantly preparing,” the soldier says.
Roman's most extreme work, inspired by the work of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, was a landscape of his hometown of Sumy. What will happen next - after the victory, he does not know.
“Before the start of the war, I prepared a canvas, but I did not have time to do anything. And even though I'm almost at home now, I'm still not inspired. And this is the main thing, because it happens that in a week you issue three works, and sometimes in six months - none. Now the main thing is to win, and then everything will be fine,” Roman added.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
