«Knight with FGM-148 Javelin»

Sculptural composition

Materials:

steel, brass, wood (beech), PLA plastic (FDM 3D printing).

№ Н-24-09-209

The image of the Cossack — the “knight with a firearm” — is one of the most enduring symbols of Ukrainian statehood. Known since the late 16th century, it served as the emblem of the Zaporizhian Host and later of the Hetmanate, becoming firmly embedded in cultural memory as the embodiment of the armed defender and a component of the Greater Coat of Arms of modern Ukraine.

In this work, the historical image is reinterpreted through the experience of contemporary war. The classical Cossack figure appears with a different “firearm” — the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank system, a symbol of modern resistance.

The figure rises on authentic fragments of the radar homing head of a Russian 3M-14 Kalibr(SS-N-27 Sizzler) cruise missile, shot down by the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine in the Kyiv region in December 2022. The inclusion of these materials shifts the work from symbolic representation to direct testimony of its time.

Behind the figure stands a stylized trident, forming the vertical axis of the composition and reinforcing it as a sign of statehood. The combination of historical tradition and contemporary military reality creates a unified image of continuity in struggle — where the means evolve, but the essence remains unchanged.