No Excess Scrap Metal at Home: Veteran from Yampil District Creates Metal Works in Techno-Art Style

A resident of Myronivka village in the Yampil territorial community in Vinnytsia region, Ukraine, and a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Serhii Novozheniuk has been creating collectible items from scrap metal for more than seven years.

The master’s portfolio includes more than 50 works in the techno-art style. Part of the collection bears the symbolic title “Inspired by the War” – these pieces were created by the man during his leaves while serving in the military. He shared this with Suspilne.

As the man says, there is nothing unnecessary in his household. Old parts from tractors, cars or bicycles, bearings, springs, chains from a brush cutter, used forks and spoons, or even siphon grates — everything finds a new life.

This is how miniature copies of airplanes, tanks, rifles, cultivators, motorcycles, helicopters, and biplanes are born. In addition to machinery, Serhii also creates other metal installations — from candlesticks to submarines, women’s handbags, and even animal figures.

Serhii Novozheniuk discovered his hobby before the full-scale war began. In April 2022, he was mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served as a communications specialist in the Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was demobilized in 2024 due to health reasons. He says that even during his service, in short periods of leave, he continued to create his works. Working with metal helped him recover and feel connected to home.

According to the man, after returning to civilian life, working in his garage became a way to get through a difficult period of adjustment.

“It all started when I saw works by metal craftsmen from all over the world on the internet — some also work with scrap metal, others make separate parts, like cars or machinery, but in smaller formats. I was interested, and I decided to try it, because I have been doing welding work for many years, I have the equipment — and it started to work out for me,” said Serhii Novozheniuk.

The very first works were small items: a hedgehog made from screws, a dandelion made from horseshoe nails, and a moving installation called “Fisherman”.

“I use all scrap metal from used parts and spare components from machines and various equipment, such as drills, angle grinders, car parts, bearings, spark plugs, and more.”

It takes the master from several hours to two weeks to create his works. He can make candlesticks in about an hour and a half, while more complex compositions require much more time. One of Serhii’s favorite works is a chameleon, which took around two weeks to create.

“When I was mobilized and came home on leave, my wife and I went to a shop in Yampil. And there we witnessed an interesting story. A small boy with his mother and father (as my wife and I understood, they were internally displaced people) saw a soft toy in the shop — a large chameleon. He insisted to his parents that it was a ‘chamion,’ speaking confidently, while his parents nodded, and passers-by, like us, were smiling… More than a year passed, my wife and I remembered that story — and I created the chameleon,” said Serhii.

It took the master more than two weeks to create the piece:

“Chains from a chainsaw, hex keys from angle grinders, various stamped metal parts, bicycle components, parts from a brush cutter, a spring, the eye — a ball bearing… When I was welding it, it darkened, and that’s how this color appeared. We liked this story. And the very existence of this animal, which adapts to conditions, is similar to us Ukrainians, who are now adapting to all conditions and challenges. An unpretentious but interesting creature,” says the author of the work.

Serhii Novozheniuk’s wife, Natalia Novozheniuk, notes that there is not a single work in the collection that she does not like. The husband’s creations are permanently exhibited at the Petrashivka rural library-branch, where she works as the head librarian.

“Especially valuable is ‘WALL·E’ — the robot from the cartoon that our son Oleksandr watched many times. He was deeply impressed by that story. A robot in space, where everything is covered in garbage, cleans it up. So even though it is a robot, it has a heart. Our son watched it several times. My husband has dedicated his works to me more than once. In particular, for one of the International Women’s Days, he secretly made a handbag as a surprise. Recently, while I was at work, he created a submarine based on the book ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ and a yacht made from an old iron,” said Natalia Novozheniuk.

All of Serhii Novozheniuk’s works are unique. He does not use drawings or plans — everything is born from imagination and from the materials available at hand at a given moment. Many of his pieces are also made from parts donated by fellow soldiers.

“When I was mobilized and defending Ukraine from Russian aggression, I met the guys — they liked it. For example, horseshoe nails were brought by a comrade from the Chernivtsi region, tank bearings were also gifted. Whoever did not mind would donate what they had. It is a difficult time for our people; Ukraine is defending its state from unjustified aggression. The works related to military themes are my cry from the soul… We must achieve this victory. It is hard, but we will achieve it.”

The wife says that her husband’s works evoke genuine interest both in adults and children. Older visitors are surprised that such items can be created from scrap metal, while children are fascinated by the master’s imagination. They are especially impressed by the Minions collection made from used car oil filters.

“The children touch everything several times, examine it, they like the Minion characters, the hedgehog — it looks like screws, yet also like a hedgehog, the ‘Fisherman’ installation… They are curious why it moves and doesn’t fall. They think they broke it when it starts moving. Everyone wants to hold the rifle. Everyone wants to play the guitar, violin, and bandura.”

During periods of electricity outages, Serhii Novozheniuk was inspired to create candlesticks. He says that it is in his garage that he finds peace.

“I go to the garage, tinker with scrap metal — and then I know that he is doing well. Everyone has their own thing: some read, some cook, and mine loves welding metal,” adds his wife.

At present, the master is working on a new large-scale project, which he is keeping secret for now.

EMPR