Polina Raiko

Raiko was born 5 May 1928 in Oleshky.[1] She had three sisters.[2] She was deported to Germany during the Second World War,[3] but later returned to Ukraine before marrying Nikolay Alekseyevich Raiko in 1950 at the age of 22.[4] They survived by growing their own fruits and vegetables and doing seasonal work on a kolkhoz.[5] They had a daughter, Elena in 1951. Their son, Sergey was born in 1953. The family built a house on 74 Nyzhnia Street, Oleshky near the Chaika and Konka rivers in 1954.[4][1]

Her husband and son abused alcohol.[5] Her son was imprisoned for three years after he nearly destroyed the family home and sold stolen items including the electrical wiring. After his release, he stabbed his mother with a knife. In 1994, Elena died in a car accident. Raiko's husband died in 1995. In 1997, Sergey was sent to a refuge colony.[4] He died in 2002 from cirrhosis.[6]

In the autumn of 1998, she began painting her home as a method to process her family hardships. She used her ₴74 monthly pension to buy paint and brushes. She eventually painted the entire property. Her home became a local tourist attraction. In 2003, the Kherson Centre Totem creative group planned to publish an album of Raiko's works. She died on 15 January 2004.[4]

Her grandson sold her house for US$5,000 to Andrius Nemickas, a Canadian living in Kyiv with his Ukrainian wife.[5] Her house was protected by a federal cultural heritage law.[7] It was considered a national cultural monument of Ukraine.[5]

Inspired by Raiko's paintings during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, pro-Ukrainian activists in Russian-occupied Kherson used a dove as a symbol of cultural resistance.[8]

Her house was destroyed in June 2023, by flooding following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam.[9][10]