I want it to be beautiful on Earth
Stanislav Sartsevych
Here you can discover the Lutsk naive artist Stanislav Sartsevych, see the “Sculpture Garden” created by him in the 1960s–1980s, which, unfortunately, has not survived.
However, based on surviving works and archival photographs, we have recreated it in 3D visualization.
Immerse yourself in the world of a unique artist through research: interviews with contemporaries, family memories, photo archives, and a documentary film.
“Genius Loci / Spirit of a Place” — a film about the return of the name of the naive artist Stanislav Sartsevych, who created his own world of cement sculptures in Lutsk.
This is a story about choice despite circumstances, about the freedom of creativity, the courage to remain true to yourself, and the return after years of neglect.
Ruslana Porytska
Author
Daryna Hromyk
Editing Director
Andriy Dmytruk
Videographer
Stanislav Valerianovich Sartsevich
(07.10.1904, Bobrytska Boliarka village (now Zhytomyr oblast) — 29.02.1984, Lutsk) — Ukrainian amateur sculptor, naive artist, creator of the legendary “Sculpture Garden” in Lutsk on Dolna Street.
In military documents, Sarcevych is listed as a Pole. He kept his diary in Polish and Russian, and communicated in Ukrainian in everyday life. The surname “Sarcevych” indicates that the family came from the vicinity of Grodno - on the border of modern Lithuania, Belarus, and Poland.
Little is known about his parents. According to family recollections, his mother was “dekulakized” (dispossessed) and sent to Siberia with her two daughters. His father probably died early.
Photo Archive
An art historian and researcher of the life and work of Stanislav Sartsevych. They were collected during her work on her diploma dedicated to the artist, as well as in the process of preparing articles and scientific publications.
The selection includes shots by Volyn amateur film photographer Borys Revenko and other authors.
A fine arts teacher who often visited Stanislav Sartsevych’s estate and captured his sculptures at different times of the year.
The images were digitised from films and slides and are being published for the first time as part of the project.
One of the founders of the Lutsk Photo Club.
Digital copies of photos from his family archive were provided for the project by his relative Artur Alioshyn.
Provided by granddaughter Inga Yalovenko and daughter-in-law Maria Sartsevych.
The photographs trace the artist’s life journey — from the 1930s to his death in 1984.
Sartsevych in the Media
Sculptures of Stanislav Sarcevych
The funds of the National Center of Folk Culture “Ivan Honchar Museum” in Kyiv contain 33 works by Stanislav Sartsevych - 21 fragments of sculptures and 12 reliefs. These are the only surviving evidence of his legendary “Sculpture Garden”, which once adorned the artist’s yard in Lutsk. Although some of the works require restoration, their preservation in the museum allows us to explore and rethink the author’s work.
In 2025, the “Skeiron” company carried out 3D digitisation of 16 sculptures and 2 reliefs, selected as the most representative for visual reproduction, and created their three-dimensional models.
In addition, 15 lost works were recreated from archival photographs, of which three — “Girl with a Wreath”, “Gymnasium Student” and “Madonna and Child” — are partially preserved in the museum’s collections. Today, they exist simultaneously as physical fragments and digital reconstructions, allowing us to see them as the artist intended.
3D models recreated from photos
3D models of preserved sculptures and sculpture fragments
Seven Conversations about Sartsevych
The story of Stanislav Sartsevych, told through seven sincere and deep conversations with people who knew him personally or researched his art: family, art historians, cultural experts, art managers and artists.
All interviews were conducted by Ruslana Porytska, a cultural expert and curator of the study.
Three Public Lectures and Discussions about Sartsevych
Special project by misto.media “City Imprints. Sartsevych”
In collaboration with the online magazine misto.media, a series of video conversations was created with participants of the “Sartsevych: Virtual Return of the Lutsk Genius of Naive Art” project.
They discuss how archives, memories, digital technologies, and theatre can be used to revive forgotten artists’ names and restore the continuity of cultural memory.
Project
“Sartsevych: Virtual Return of the Lutsk Genius of Naive Art”
This project brings back the name of Stanislav Sartsevych, a naive sculptor from Lutsk who created his “Sculpture Garden” right in his yard so that “may it be beautiful on Earth.”
We combined history, art, and digital technologies to bring his work to life and make it part of the contemporary cultural space.
Project Experts
Zoia Navrotska
Art historian, researcher of the life and work of Stanislav Sartsevich
Pavlo Gudimov
Curator and founder of the art center “Ya Gallery”
Petro Honchar
Monumental artist, painter, general director of the National Center of Folk Culture “Ivan Honchar Museum”
Project Team
Ella Yatsuta
Project manager, CEO of the “Algorytm” NGO
Ruslana Porytska
Research curator, Head and Director of the “Garmyder” Theater
Natalka Shepel
Project communications manager, actress of the “Garmyder”
Tetiana Zubryk
Project event coordinator, head of the Center for the Development of Creative Industries “Abo Abo”
Oksana Savchuk
Monitoring and evaluation manager, specialist in donor relations at “Algorytm” NGO
Maryna Kovalchuk
Assistant project manager
Mariyka Marchenkova
Assistant research curator
Hanna Panchenko
Project SMM
Olesia Bachynska
Project designer
Kateryna Bodnia
Project financial manager
Andriy Rogovsky
Project logistician
