Protest in Kyiv today against civil code 15150 "Ukrainians have zero patience for bullshit"
The code draft that recently passed the first vote includes absolutely enraging paragraphs targeting LGBTQIA and women's rights, as well as environmental protection, property and adoption law.
I could list examples for you, but there might not be a point learning about it, as Ukrainians have a very strong opinion as to where this draft of the civil code can go - на хуй
Finally got around to making a flip through video of the final and published version of "Find me near the chestnut trees". I have been working on this chunky little brick of a book for over three years, trying to capture my Ukrainian friends new reality and the new "normality" they had to reclaim. 236 pages with photos and personal texts/diary entries by my wonderful protagonists <3
It is available on my website if you are interested
Massive thank you once again to all the people that supported the crowdfunding to make this possible and everybody who has already ordered a book <3
with @eigensinnpublishing
Favorite home decor ever ✨️ Marta with her personal camouflage net frame in her living room. With the cutest little helper - obviously nothing gets done without Malyutchkas supervision.
This is so cool!!
(Camouflage nets are being woven by volunteers all over Ukraine to provide them to the armed forces)
Vitalii in an abandoned plant that was struck in 2014.
I remember clumsily stumbling over rubble, believing war to be something of the past, distant, even with the old contact line being less than 20km away. Never would I have guessed, never in a million years, even considered, that it would return and roll over this city with its unbearable violence only five month later.
Walked through ruins not knowing the anger I should have felt yet.
Lysychansk, September 2021
Chris and his partner live quite a bit outside of the city centre, on the grounds of the Holosiivskyi Nationalpark.
It’s beautiful, in the middle of the forest.
The heating was broken in previous years already, but as long as there was electricity that was okay.
Now in January there were multiple days with barely any electricity at all. It got very cold.
This winter was exhausting. Not just physically.
He says, you can manage the darkness with flashlights and candles, but after multiple days it starts to get to you.
Nonetheless visiting Chris reminded me of one thing. Russia may take Ukraines heating, its light, its sleep, but it will never succeed in taking away this countries sense of humor and spirit. Kyiv is cold, Kyiv is tiered, but far from broken.
Was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for letting me photograph you @sweetsandsuffering
It's happening! My book is finally available on my website in my online store! And will hopefully come to bookstores near you soon too :)
236 pages with photographs taken since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, trying to capture my friends new reality.
The book is completed by personal texts and notes contributed by my dear Anastasiia Kaminska, Oleksii Stislavsky and Vitalii Matukhno. Thank you for trusting me with these vulnerable, sometimes brutally honest and open texts. It is an honor <3
With @eigensinnpublishing
LINK IN BIO
Yulia and Vasyl only had 5 °C in their apartments for multiple days.
They had been filling water canisters with hot water and placed them in the bed to sleep.
A few days before I took these photos electricity returned and with it at least a bit of heating.
Finally! Yulia texted me „Let`s get a drink! We need to celebrate!“
It is still not exactly warm in the apartment, maybe 16 °C and there is still no warm water.
Even if there is electricity, you can not trust it.
It can turn off at any moment. Better not to use the lift.
They live on the 12th floor of the student dormitory.
They joke about getting strong legs from walking all these stairs for weeks.
Since 2022 the dormitory does not just house students, but also families, elderly and other IDPs (internally displaced people).
Yulia and Vasyl moved to Kyiv from Sumy last summer, when the situation got too dangerous there.
Vasyl grew up in Sumy region. Yulia is originally from Sievierodonetsk, Donbas. This is the second time since the beginning of the full-scale war that she was forced to relocate.
Lyosha reading. It wasn't too bad in my apartment. Without electricity and heating the apartment temperature could go down to 14°C at night, but it was usually around 16-17 during the day. Lucky. Still cold. But lucky in comparison. If you watched the thermostat, you could watch it go up when somebody was in the room. We were warming the apartment more than it was warming us. I read somewhere that the human body stops being able to contain its warmth in temperatures below 16 degrees. Sometimes when indoor temperatures dropped too far, I started feeling genuinely sick to my stomach, despite multiple layers of cloth. Cold is a powerful enemy and pushes the limits of our bodies quite quickly.
📖 @stslsk2
"Every hungry person deserves to be fed“ is the motto written on the backs of the uniforms of the volunteers, that are giving out delicious warm soup and baked goods.
When we arrive, a few people are already waiting. Lolita, one of the volunteers, says it is a bit less than usual because of the cold weather, -6°C.
This location in Podil, in the heart of Kyiv is one of three locations where these daily food destrubutions are happening.
@food.for.life.kyiv feeds up to 2000 people per week here in Kyiv, serving warm, vegetarian meals.
They have been operating in various cities in Ukraine for 20 years. They are doing amazing work and I feel very lucky that I got to join their team.
Hearts remain warm in a freezing city ❤️
Last month I got to photograph a few events for @cmykyiv
Cmyk aims to integrate traditional Ukrainian music and culture into modern times, by encouraging collaborations between traditional and electronic musicians. It's one of many ways young Ukrainians rediscover and hold up their culture, that has been threatened, suppressed and suffered under russia so many times in history.
Happy Valentines day! ❤️
Kids sledding in Kyiv There are some perks to this weather⛄
If it wasn't for russia and the cruelties that it unleashed, this could have been a gorgeous winter, straight out of the movies, a thick blanket of snow has covered the city for almost two months. The temperatures are so low that single perfectly preserved snowflakes glister in the sunlight like I have never seen it before. It is the coldest winter that Kyiv has seen in sixteen years.
