Wartime Accounts
Written through the lens of Ukrainian photographers 
Updated on September 9, 2022
 

On the morning of 24th February 2022, people in Ukraine woke up to airstrikes as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of their country. Martial law was declared by the Ukrainian president, urging all residents who wished to defend the nation to come forward, while enabling children, the elderly and others in vulnerable situations to flee to safety. Ukrainians demonstrated their resilience amidst the inhumane chaos of the war, and the local photographers took on the responsibility of becoming war photojournalists right away and have been documenting the unfolding events since the beginning of the invasion of their country.

 

The wartime accounts, written through the lens of Ukrainian photographers, portray the experiences of the people during the war. They depict events from the early days of the invasion when people were confined to their homes or relocated to underground shelters, to how they volunteered in various capacities to support their defence forces; the goodbyes and promises they made to their families and how they saved their pets while fleeing to safety; from the firefighters who worked tirelessly 24 hours a day for months, to how the civilians protected their cultural heritage; from the war-torn streets to the altered landscape of the country and many other heart-wrenching realities.
 

Although wartime imagery shows despair and destruction, it also brings people together in their pursuit of harmony. We acknowledge the remarkable work of courageous Ukrainian photographers.

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Contributing artists: Alina Smutko, Serhii Mykhalchuk, Kateryna Moskalyuk, Sergiy Illyashenko, Elizabeth Servatynska, Viacheslav Ratynski, Yana Sidash, Pietro Chekal, George Ivanchenko and Igor Gorbunov