The Face Of Donbas 2020
Giving a face, and voice the the perpetrators, victims and witnesses of Ukraines ongoing war. This series showcase the best, and worse of humanity.
The Stranger – Valentina
"I wish this War would sink into the ground, down to hell where it belongs. The land is covered in bullets, shrapnel, landmines and is drenched in the tears and blood of those who died. I soak my clothes in tears from sunrise to sunset." Valentina is one of the four remaining civilians living in the town of Pisky, along the Ukrainian frontline – one of the most dangerous and devastated places in the war zone. Although she lives on Government-controlled territory, she is a passionate separatist with framed photos of Putin and Russian flags lining her walls. Without electricity and running water, she relies entirely on the Ukrainian soldiers living next door to survive – "living from the hand of the enemy." What remains of her house comes under fire from separatist forces nearly every day – her own son is amongst those pulling the trigger. So broken by war, Valentina welcomes every bullet, hoping they will strike the Ukrainian outpost next to her house rather than fearing for her own life. With no hope for the future and nothing but her bitter hate keeping her alive, Valentina has only her cat for company – her friends and children have long fled the area. She wishes to one day meet her grandchildren, who live only a handful of kilometers away in the separatist-controlled territory.
The Priest – Dimitry
A Ukrainian military Priest, Dimitry is stationed at a Ukrainian military hospital in Luhansk and is responsible for overseeing funerals and talking to the wounded. With a very religious fighting force, people like Dimitry play a vital role in the conflict, brushing shoulders with high-ranking officials as they ask for forgiveness for what they have done, or blessings for what they plan to do. This Photograph was taken on Easter morning 2019, following a religious blessing for commanding officers, this photograph hides a dark scene unraveling just off-camera. At the crack of dawn, not a minute after Dimitry had concluded his proceedings, asking God to bless the saftey of his soldiers, an ambulance rushed into the compound. A young soldier was wheeled out of the ambulance, drenched in blood, one leg next to him, and another hanging on by a scrap of flesh – a mortar had hit his frontline possition. Dimitry's smile, passion, and hope suddenly faded from his eyes. His words to God clearly unheard, with timing so devastating, not even he could refuse to question if anyone was listening... He posed for his portrait, as the bloody scene continued to unfold off-camera.
The Role-player – Oleksandra
Like many young Ukrainians, Oleksandra was raised into a country at war. Having spent her early teen years organizing bake sales to buy ammunition and sewing camouflage nets at school – she became inspired to fight for her country. Eventually, she dropped out of university and joined a clandestine paramedic unit supporting the army. Ironically, while she abandoned the rest of her peaceful and youthful life, she decided to keep her colored hair, rendering her camouflage useless – brightly contrasting the sea of grey and military green along the frontlines. A choice that undermines both the seriousness of the conflict and places herself and colleagues in danger – making them an easy target. I will never know her true intentions for joining the war effort, as I fear she doesn't understand them herself. The glorification of war, its false adventure, and the social credit it offers all play a roll in leading hundreds of ignorant youth into the line of fire.
The Miner – Igor
Coal fuels the heart of Eastern Ukraine – countless mines run under the open landscape like blackened veins. Although war continues to split the state of Donbas in half, it may not hold first place of the most destructive force continuing to cripple and kill the region's people.
Unregulated soviet-era coal mines, with next to no precaution for saftey, have only been worsened by the chaos and corruption created by the conflict. Although Igor lives in the war zone, he is not afraid of the bombing or the crossfire. He knows he will die like his father and grandfather – at the hand of the mines, be it in a tunnel collapse or by black lung. "Every day, I dig my own grave deeper" – Igor. However, despite his backbreaking work Igor, like his hundreds of his colleagues, had not been paid in almost three months at the time this photograph was taken. The directors in charge of the mines using the war as an excuse and opportunity to cut or altogether withhold their salaries of 300 euro per month. "People from the East and West are the same, we have all suffered for generations. Let's not tear each other apart, trying to find someone to blame."
Sergent Климишин
TBA
The Mother –Maria
Maria lives right on the frontline village of Avdiivka with her two young daughters. Her house has already been hit by stray rockets multiple times, and the lifeless fields around the area are pockmarked with shell impacts. She, like many of the women living on the frontlines, are among some of the toughest, most hardy, and inspiring I have ever met. Facing every challenge with confidence, not afraid to stand up local military forces which she disagrees with.
Her goal is to raise her two daughters safely and to ensure that they can go to school far away from the conflict zone."Every day they would bring dead bodies of soldiers from the forest. I saw soldiers cry. They would come to us and cry. "What should I do?" one would tell us. "What am I doing here?" would ask the other one. I saw tanks burning. My grandchildren were crying – the soldiers have been jumping out of bombed vehicles burning alive.We can not bring up our children in normal way because everything is destroyed. War destroyed our plans, our future. I just wanted to live quietly till my pension but now that seems pointless."
The Civilian Cyborg – Baba Masha
The Civilian Cyborg – Baba MashaBaba Masha, also known as 'The Civilian Cyborg' for her unwavering strength was an incredibly outspoken and well-known character living along the frontlines in the town of Optyne. Tragically, she died late last year when her house caught fire, the Ukrainian military did not allow the firetrucks to come and tackle the flames. Her death is just as much as reult of the conflict as they countless others who died at the hands of crossfire and artilery attacks.
Having lost both her Son and Husband to the war, Baba Masha lived completely alone, however, despite her awful circumstances, she was far from miserable. She saw the sea of abounded and war-torn houses around her own as an infinite number of spare parts to repair and upgrade her own damaged house – a task which had become her main goal in life. She would spend days walking through the minefields in search of pots and pans, intact windows, and doors – all of which she would drag back to her house to be fitted. Baba Masha was a testament to the strength and reliance of humanity.
"We are surrounded by suffering, young men die on both sides, the land itself is crying — we just want peace, regardless of whose flag we live under"
The Solider – Vladimir
Vladimir's story represents the normality and banality of war. When the conflict in Ukraine first broke out in 2014, thousands flocked to the frontlines in voluntary paramilitary groups – replacing the crippled Government army. In the early days, Ukraine's fighting force was driven by nationalism, warrior mentality, and 'glory' – labels that still motivate and inspire many soldiers today. However, since the government rebuilt its army, the war has drawn a different crown – the everyday man. Offering a massive salary compared to local alternatives, and a surprisingly safe working environment in contrast to local mining and industrial jobs joining the military is a logical choice. Funded by the US and EU, this new fighting force is not driven by national pride and serenity as the Ukrainian government would like people to think, but instead money. Many of the soldiers fighting to today on the frontlines have very little to say about their enemy, and those who once did have grown tired of the fighting – cementing the region in a gridlocked state of conflict. Both sides have lost too much to lay down their weapons.
The Receptionist – Nadja
Nadja has worked in the Donetsk Olympic pool since its opening in 2012. Today the massive facility sits right on the edge of the frontlines in Separatist controlled territory. The pool has now been drained, and mortar tails still stick out of the blue tile floor. Nadja is technically a receptionist, however with the building virtually abounded, her only daily task is to cook for the workers repairing the bombed roof and keeping kids off the explosive riddled Olympic soccer fields – a surprisingly common problem. In this photo, she holds up the remains of a Ukrainian grad rocket, which hit the building one day while she was at work. “One day I was running late for work, this was already after the war had started. As I rushed to the building I found the severed head of my colleague sitting outside the soccer field, she had been struck by shrapnel from a Ukrainian rocket. I will never forget the look in her eyes. I start every day wondering if I will be bombed today, and go to bed every night wondering if I will wake tomorrow morning. " “
The Professional Tourist – Kuba
Kuba, a young Chez photographer, joined me as my assistant for my second trip to Ukraine. His attitude towards visiting the conflict zone was very similar to that of many other young men who join the army and voluntary battalions – he wanted a taste of the action. In search of the false adventure promised by war, every day without a close call or dose of adrenaline seemed to him as a failure. This chase for that natural high associated with death and danger is something that infects and drives many young journalists – even myself. This is one of the reasons why we have so many photos of men with guns, and not nearly enough stories the complicated issues which exist on the ground next to the line of fire. Like moths to a light, journalists flock to the more exciting and visually recognizable depictions of war – overlooking the relatively boring and tragic lives of those living in the crossfire. I feel like his portrait belonged in the series. War attracts many different types of people, and the action hungry journalist is undoubtedly one of them.
Additional Images
