Eurovision: Ukrainian mum who was forced to flee Kyiv unveils artwork

A Ukrainian mum who was forced to flee Kyiv with her teenage daughters has paid tribute to her "home from home" Liverpool with a Eurovision mural.

Artist Mariana Potetenko, 45, arrived in the city after the Russian invasion with her 13 and 15-year-old daughters.

As Eurovision approached, Mariana answered a call-out to artists for a music inspired mural on Bold Street.

Her artwork features last year's winner Kalush Orchestra and runner-up Sam Ryder.

Mariana, who is also a qualified translator and psychologist, said she tried to "combine the symbols of Ukraine and Great Britain" in the piece.

She added: "I am a huge fan of Eurovision and it was supposed to be in Ukraine but unfortunately, due to the war, it is here, in the city where I am.

"I still can't believe it. I will watch it on TV and be proud for my country."

Mariana told the BBC how she arrived in Liverpool last June, fleeing the invasion and having just lost both her parents to cancer.

Almost a year on, she said she and her family had "fallen in love" with Merseyside.

"It's just the right place for us," she said.

"I'm absolutely in love with it because the city is full of creative and artistic people and it has fascinating galleries and museums.

"With Eurovision it has just been beautiful because I feel like I'm at home. With the Ukrainian flags everywhere, Liverpool has shown great support to our country. I'm lucky to be here. It's a huge privilege."

Mariana, who is in the UK on a three year visa, said she hoped to stay in Liverpool and build a new life as an artist.

She said: "I'm currently attending many networking events for artists and some of my works will be presented at charity events and in some galleries. So yeah, I have huge plans."

Her work in Bold Street was commissioned by the Liverpool BID Company, with training provided by the Liverpool City Region's "skills bootcamp" scheme.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said: "People across our region have opened up their hearts and homes to thousands of Ukrainian refugees over the past year - and we want to ensure they feel a real sense of belonging in our community.

"By giving people like Mariana the opportunity to access training, not only are we helping people's creativity to flourish, we are helping them to gain the knowledge and skills they need to start to building a better future for their families."

Skills bootcamps are free courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to boost their skill levels in a key area or gain more responsibilities in their current role.

Mariana took part in a digital design bootcamp, covering Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Premiere Pro.

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