The horrendous pictures of the dead bodies of civilians, hands tied behind their backs, lying in the streets of Bucha, that emerged after the withdrawal of the Russian army from the Ukrainians town, horrified the world and it accused Russia of committing war crimes. The local authorities say more than 300 people were killed and buried in a mass grave near a church in Bucha during the Russian occupation, another mass grave of 57 innocent victims has been found.
On the night of April 3, when world media were releasing the horrific pictures of the massacre in Bucha, foremost Bulgarian animator Theodore Ushev posted, on social media, a drawing depicting the horror of what is happening.
The picture is of the eye of a child, in which the distorted face of his killer is reflected – a Russian soldier, branded with a Z that has become the official symbol of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Within hours the drawing went viral, it was shared thousands of times with innumerable comments calling for an immediate end to the massacre in Ukraine.
Talking to public service TV BNT, visibly upset, Theodore Ushev commented:
“I sat down and did the drawing quite spontaneously, and I was thinking it would be easy. I sat down without any idea, and all the time I was drawing the poster my hands were shaking. That is a first for me. For the first time I felt helpless. I want keep my silence in memory of the innocent victims massacred – of the children, the women, the old people who, just one month before that had been leading normal lives. I have always been an optimist, I have always thought art can change the world, but at this time all I feel is absolute despair and helplessness that art may be able to change things,” Theo Ushev said.
The influential animator is well known for his active citizenship on an array of important issues. Some time ago Theo posted, on social media, a drawing of the eyes of the doctors taking care of him in a hospital Covid ward. The drawing went viral immediately, and was put up on dozens of billboards throughout Sofia as a gesture of gratitude to all front line medics in the fight against Covid-19.
Compiled by Veneta Nikolova
Photos courtesy of the artist and BGNES
The fountain in the center of Bukata Garden, located near Madara Bath in Sofia, has been restored to its original form with the help of the Sofia Municipality. All the elements of the figure have been made from brass in their original form. The..
Taekwondo athlete Kimia Alizadeh, who won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, supported the National Campaign Combating Violence Against and Among Children "Be Brave, Be Good" of the State Agency for Child Protection. "Bullying and..
As a rescue center for wild animals, this year too, the Sofia Zoo sheltered deer injured in accidents, storks that cannot fly and even a Nile crocodile . Among the animals housed are also confiscated valuable exotic birds such as pink flamingos and pink..
From the first attempts to fly with homemade wings back in the 19th century, to the world's first combat flights with reconnaissance and bombing..
Dear friends, we are happy to announce that the Bulgarian National Radio’s QSL cards for 2025 are now available. The two series – one with 6 postcards..
Scattered showers
Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Cloudy