(1875–1920) Ukrainian artist and icon painter, one of the leading representatives of sacral art of the early 20th century. His work is an important part of Ukrainian modernism, combining the revival of national traditions and current trends in European art. M. Sosenko was born in the village of Porogy in Galicia, studied at the Krakow Academy of Arts. Later, with the financial support of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, in Munich and Paris. This formed his deep understanding of modern European art. Returning to Ukraine, the artist devoted his activities to sacral painting, creating church murals, icons, and also worked as a restorer in the “Church Museum” (now the A. Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv). During 1908-1914 he traveled to Italy, Ukraine, as well as Egypt and Palestine. During 1916-1918 he participated in the First World War as part of the Austro-Hungarian Army. He was often ill and spent the last years of his life in the metropolitan residence at the Cathedral of St. George in Lviv, where he died on February 4, 1920. The artist was buried at the Yaniv Cemetery in Lviv. According to his will, his artistic heritage was transferred to the National Museum in Lviv, and some of his works are kept in other Ukrainian museums, temples and private collections.

Examples of the artist’s sacred art include monumental decorative paintings in the church of St. Paraskeva in the village of Puzhnyky (lost in 1906-1907), the church of Archangel Michael in the village of Bilche-Zoloto (destroyed in 1912), polychromes and iconostasis in the church of Archangel Michael in Pidberiztsy, the church of Resurrection in the village of Pechenyzhyn (destroyed in 1907-1908), Resurrection Church in the village of Polyany, St. Nicholas Church in Zolochiv, Assumption Church in the village of Slavsko (destroyed in 2019), iconostasis of St. Onuphrius Church in Lviv.

One of the most famous works of M. Sosenko is the frescoes of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Slavsko, executed in the 1910s together with the artist’s student Julian Butsmanyuk. In 2019, the frescoes were completely destroyed by local residents led by the UGCC priest Andriy Petryshyn. On May 12–13, researchers and the public tried to convince the rector of the church and the community to preserve the frescoes, emphasizing their exceptional artistic value. The regional department for the protection of cultural heritage issued an order prohibiting the work due to the church’s status as an architectural monument. However, the community and the priest ignored this. Already on May 15, the interiors of the church were completely destroyed. The decorative tiles by Ivan Levinsky were also destroyed. Instead, the church was covered with modern sanitary tiles and low-quality polychrome was made. The iconostasis was also dismantled, but it was saved. Since the monument is the property of the community, after restoration by the Lviv branch of the restoration center, it was returned to the community. According to various sources, approximately 100-150 residents of Slavsko took part in the destruction of the monument. None of the participants in the crime was ever brought to justice.

Mykhailo Skop