Ada Rybachuk—Ukrainian Painter of the Arctic Circle

Ada Rybachuk: From forced exile to promising artist in Kyiv

Ada Rybachuk was born in Kyiv in 1931. Her father was in the Soviet army so for a time Rybachuk’s family lived in Kazakhstan, having been forced to flee Ukraine. Already interested in becoming an artist, Rybachuk returned to Kyiv and attended the Taras Shevchenko Art High School. She continued her studies at the Kyiv State Art Institute and quickly became a part of the local creative scene, participating in group shows and receiving commissions for illustration work.

Exploring the North: The artistic journey of Ada Rybachuk and Volodymyr Melnychenko

In 1954, Rybachuk went to the North for the first time. Her husband Volodymyr Melnychenko (who was also an artist) came with her. It was the first of several extended trips the couple would take over the next decade. They lived among the local Nenets people in Naryan-Mar and Kolguyev Island, learning about their culture and way of life. The two artists sketched the local people and environment. The work created during their trips became the basis of a thesis for their Kyiv State Art Institute diplomas.

Groundbreaking arctic art: Depicting daily life in the North

Ada Rybachuk’s artistic depictions of the Northern Stories

Rybachuk portrayed the North in a variety of mediums: from tempura to collage to sculpture. But today she is most well-known for her monotype prints depicting Arctic life. She also illustrated books of stories, working with the help of children at the local school where she taught art classes.

Rybachuk and Melnychenko’s work was groundbreaking in its commitment to showing the specificity of daily life in the North. They made a lasting impact in the Arctic and among the Nenets people. The two artists even gifted the town of Naryan-Mar a large cache of works that helped establish the Nenets Local Lore Museum.

Arctic portraits: A tribute to the people of Naryan-Mar and Kolguyev Island

One of Rybachuk’s most successful projects completed in the North was a series of portraits. Dynamic and idiosyncratic, each is a testament to the attention Rybachuk paid to the people she met during her time in Naryan-Mar and Kolguyev Island.

Return to Kyiv

Back in Kyiv, Rybachuk continued to work using a variety of mediums and often confronted the social issues of her time. Melnychenko remained her constant collaborator. Together the artists begin a commission called the Park of Memory.

The Park of Memory: A modernist project cut short by censorship

The modernist project included a crematorium and the Wall of Memory, with several monumental sculptures paying homage to major tragedies of human history. In the early 1980s, USSR authorities ordered the destruction of the works—an extreme act of artistic censorship.

Remembering Ada Rybachuk: An artist’s legacy

Rybachuk died in 2010 and is buried next to the Park of Memory in Baikove Cemetery. Her work celebrated new ways of living and understanding, and sought to reveal universality through art, whether in Kyiv or on the White Sea.