On Ukrainian Christmas Eve, Ostap Lozynskiy, a 38-year-old Ukrainian artist, passed away. I never met Ostap, but many of my close friends did. When my classmate Oleksa, and Godsister, Ivanka, posted on the Facebook page about Ostap’s passing, I realized I needed to write about Ostap. He contributed a lot to preserving Ukrainian heritage through his work as an iconographer and his collection of icons on glass. One can find information about his art career on the Wikipedia and his Instagram channel. One can also watch his recent video from Roman to Jordan on Youtube and admire Ostap’s work in the video “Icon on the Glass”

In the interview of Radio Svoboda Ostap said one year ago:  “I am not a collector in the classical or stereotypical sense, but rather a collector, researcher and promoter. I have an interesting collection of folk Hutsul icons on glass, which is an exciting phenomenon of folk art, but which was still a widely used art. The collection began to take shape when I started to revive the tradition of painting a folk icon on glass. On the other hand, I popularize this kind of folk art in every possible way thanks to exhibition and publishing projects, series of masterclasses both in Ukraine and in America, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, always open for possible cooperation. I understand that I am the temporary custodian of these masterpieces, which I now have because I know very well that they will be transferred to the state or public collection. I consider it my specific mission, because things, at a time when museums are not engaged in procurement at all, and important layers of culture pass by collections, could go around the world. So they are collected, restored, cataloged and systematized. He dreamed of creating an open-access of Ukrainian art where everyone could learn about Ukrainian heritage and the history of iconography on glass. One day I am sure it will be possible. Ostap will be in heaven checking the future of Ukrainian Icon on Glass from above. The Ukrainians published a very detailed interview on how Ostap collected icons.

In an interview, Ivanka Krypyakevytch, a very good friend of Ostap and a talented iconographer, said she would try to remember his face on the last day of his life to paint a portrait. Ivanka posted on Facebook: “ Ostap flew halfway through the first night of January 6, on Christmas Eve to Heaven. He just fell asleep, not tormented.”

Ostap loved Rizdvo, Vertep and celebration. On January 8, he constantly invited family members and friends to share the Ukrainian Christmas spirit. Tvoe Misto published how close to 300 people show up in his apartment to celebrate Rizdvo. Ostap also loved Ukrainian cooking, so those who visited him were also fed well! Lviv Mayor shared in his post: “ It is said that when a person leaves this world on such great holidays, he immediately goes to paradise. So may Ostap be light and well there. And his works, like his memory, will live forever. Bright memory for a bright person”.

Ukrainian newspaper Day wrote that on December 10, 2021, Ostap said: “What is bad about me is that I contracted the COVID a month ago, even though I had COVID last year and was vaccinated twice. I will not say that it was difficult, but not easy. Now I have mini-complications (weakness, difficult climbing stairs)”. Now Ukrainian artist community will gather on January 8 in Ukrainian Catholic University to say Vichnaya Pam’yt’ to Ostap. Eternal Memory Ostape.