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An antique dealer in Kharkiv has shot to fame, thanks to a newly unveiled sculpture dedicated to her.
The immortalized version of Lyudmilla Banchenko depicts her selling sunflower seeds in a wide brim hat, apron – surrounded by a sleepy cat and crafty rat.
“I experienced a splash of emotions! I wanted so much to have some changes in my life, not to trade on the market for my whole lifetime. And now I suddenly found myself in the bohemian environment, the world of sculpture and artists. And he is such a great craftsman!” Banchenko said.
Seifaddin Hurbanov, a People’s Artist of Ukraine, was behind the bronze babushka masterpiece.
“As soon as I saw her, I had the image in my head. And that’s it! The rest was easy. She modeled for six days, four hours a day and that’s all. It was made in one breath,” he said.
“Life is so fascinating. You never know where you will end up. I was quietly sitting on the market — and this happened,” Banchenko said.
Residents in Kharkiv have been stopping by in droves to take photos with Banchenko – both the real-life one and the sculptured versions.
“Look, it’s a rat. Rats also like seeds. It’s great! We heard about the monument and went to look for it,” a Kharkiv resident by the name of Alla said.
“I think it’s aunt Sonia, the one who is one the Odessa Pryvoz market. And on the Kharkiv market. These people are somehow similar. Oh, it’s aunt Lyuda? But still, it embodies Kharkiv’s central market. It’s great that they set up this monument,” another Kharkiv resident by the name of Oksana said.
Banchenko now has another trading spot nearby. But the sculpture adds another chapter to the history of the city’s landmark Central Market.
