Ukrainian journalist painted with ketchup, onion to stay alive in Russian prison

A Ukrainian journalist, Roman Sushchenko described how he created paintings of cathedrals, lighthouses, and soothing landscapes in order to stay alive in a Russian prison. Sushchenko was convicted in Russia of spying and was jailed for three years and used to paint as a form of psychological therapy during his imprisonment. The journalist who denies spying used unusual materials for painting such as ketchup, tea, and onion husks to create red and blue hues along with pencils and ballpoint pens.  Sushchenko struggled to keep his hopes high after he was jailed in 2016 and was released in September under Russian-Ukrainian prisoner exchange. 

Sushchenko said, “It kept me alive”.

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Would send artworks to family

The Ukrainian journalist further said that he would send his artworks to his family through the mail with only one depicting the cathedral of Rouen in France on his failure to arrive. Sushchenko spoke at the news conference organised by the Polish Journalists Association where his reproduced works were exhibited along with the Ukrainian Embassy in Warsaw. Sushchenko was based in Paris before his arrest during his visit to Moscow in 2016. 

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PEN America which defends free speech and human rights says on its website that as a Ukrinform’s Paris correspondent, “Sushchenko not only covered the political, artistic, and cultural life of France but also exposed Russian propaganda in French news outlets”.

Sushchenko reportedly expressed his concerns about Russian propaganda which seems to be swaying minds in France, even among the highest levels of government. The Ukrainian journalist plans to sell his original drawings and donate the money for good causes including to help the families of political prisoners. At the time of his arrest, Ukraine's foreign ministry said it was 'outraged' by his detention on 'trumped-up charges'. Sushchenko was accused of conduction of espionage activities and that he was collecting state secrets. 

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(With AP inputs)