The flowers of war: Ukraine blacksmith turns guns, ammo into art

A bunch of roses transformed from weapons and ammunition into flowers of war by the hands of Mikhalev are on display in a workshop in his house in Donetsk, Russian-controlled Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. Photo: AP

A blacksmith in the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk is practically beating swords into ploughshares, and turning one man’s trash into treasures. Viktor Mikhalev takes weapons and ammunition and produces what he calls the flowers of war.

Mikhalev, who trained as a welder, lives and works in a house whose fence and door are decorated with forged flowers and grapes. In his workshop are piles of half-burnt machine guns and shells from the war’s front line.