This live sand-animation performance, by Kseniya Simonova on the television show Ukraine’s Got Talent, recounts the terrible suffering of Ukraine during World War II. Ukraine suffered horribly, beyond what most of us can imagine.

From Koffee Article:

The video tells the story of life during World War II or The Great Patriotic War, as it’s known in the Ukraine. It is no doubt the reason for the emotional reactions of some of the audience. The Ukraine was one of the most devastated countries of WWII, with 1 in 4 Ukrainians killed and nearly 20% of all people killed in the war being from the Ukraine!

The final frame of the animation shows the ghost of a fallen sailor and text that reads: “You are always nearby”.

This is a beautiful work of art. And you can see in the faces of some in the crowd that it surfaces painful and poignant national memories.

[H/T The Anchoress]