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War through Photography

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Daniel Montoya

This document summarizes a series of photographs that depict Ukrainians preparing for and experiencing war. The photographs show soldiers at a military base expressing their hopes and fears before deployment. Other photographs capture soldiers training and mobilizing for battle, depicting their still poses "like toy army men and women." Further photographs portray the human cost of war, including a wounded soldier named Serghei who underwent many surgeries and hopes to return to work after rehabilitation despite his severe burns from a rocket-propelled grenade attack. The collection seeks to portray the individual faces and experiences of Ukrainians united in defending their nation amidst its ongoing conflict.

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War through Photography
“‘What do you see when you close your eyes?’ This simple question was asked to a group of mostly young soldiers at a military base near Donetsk, prior to their departure for the front line. Their faces were captured on fil, their visions and dreams individually annotated in a diary. This portrait shot reveals an inner panorama of emotions – hopes, fears, wishes, and philosophical considerations. Most of all, there is a willingness to say farewell to loved ones, to die for one’s country. The individual faces of war cannot hide the pain and fear for the future, and at first glance what they see is an uncertainty and danger. Naturally, the thought of war evokes images of destruction and separation.
The young nation of Ukraine has suffered greatly in comparison to many of its former Soviet allies. Its independence in 1992 was recognized as the true end of the Soviet Union given Ukraine’s strength within and outside Eastern Europe. Ukraine had the second largest GDP after Russia among former Soviet regions, and its close socio-linguistic ties made its separation the most difficult for Russia to accept. The Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were quite autonomous and unique; Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia were very distant from Russian control; and finally the –stan nations identified more strongly with their central Asian identity than with a Soviet one. Only Belarus can be argued to have been closer to Russia, but Ukraine’s economic strength made it a more significant loss. Historically, Russia’s interests lay in Eastern Ukraine and many experts see the current war as an extension of the Cold War politics.
“Usually people measure time in seconds, minutes, or days. Here I measure time with the lives of those who give them away, for others to live. How many more?” wondered Yaroslav, a soon to be frontline soldier seeing the fate of his compatriots during the war. In many ways, Yaroslav embodies the spirit of change in Ukraine. Many long for their family, others worry about the future, and some simply hope for a better Ukraine. They are not analysts determining the right political maneuvers to ensure peace and happiness for all. They simply close their eyes and think, think of what the future will be and of what comforts or scares them in their times of need. “War Dreams” showcases a variety of Ukrainians of diverse ages and geographic backgrounds who unite to defend their nation.
War through Photography
Before war comes preparations, volunteers strategically and mentally readying themselves for the fight ahead. As the natural progression of “War Dreams”, War Games dives into the physical manifestation of armed conflict . Can we ever be ready for something so life altering as war? The photographs expose a gloomy sky, paralleling the sentiment of the Ukrainians; the soldiers pose in very still positions, almost like toy army men and women. It seems almost like a dream, but this is their reality. Generalizations are not a thing of the past, unfortunately. Ever since US President Ronald Reagan’s characterization of the Soviet Union as evil, international relations seem to be viewed primarily in black and white in the United States. The United States is always seen as the hero and its enemies in Russia, Iraq, and Iran as the evildoers who need to be stopped. The way this conflict in Ukraine has been spoken of seems to delineate clear borders between protecting a noble, pro-western Ukraine against an evil expansionist Putin-lead Russia.
But look closer. Most people would not be able to pick out the name Azov Battalion, yet it is one of the greatest forces supporting the national government. It must be good, right? Well, depends on what the observer defines as good: yes, it is trying to restore peace in Ukraine and retain its sovereignty against mighty Russia, but it has also been recognized for its proto-national socialist policies that often run in with anti-Semitic rhetoric. Who should really be supported? When black and white bleed into each other and everything is gray, what can the meaning of this violence be? What keeps soldiers marching to the front lines? War Games focus on the soldiers, the guns, and the village. This is the mobilization of both forces and of emotions. They wait, they prepare, and they march.
War through Photography
“You never can be prepared for war,” explains Serghei, a wounded Ukrainian soldier, “because training is one thing, but war is absolutely different. You can be prepared for fighting in the field, but then you must protect the columns or shoot at a block post. Different types of fights, different towns, and now also different types of weapons; you never know what to expect.” On June 15, near Sloviansk, during the retrieval of a shot down helicopter, his vehicle was hit by a RPG (rocket- propelled grenade) and Serghei and his driver was engulfed by flames. Serghei has since undergone many surgeries. His body may never recover.
Finally, we arrive at War Scars. The above, a description of a graphic injury, is paired with an image that conveys the damage war has done. Though not shown here due its graphic nature, the image presents Serghei, burned and hurt after the hell of war. What is striking about this man is his final remark to the photographer: “After rehabilitation I hopes to return to my previous work.” Through the depths of pain and suffering, what he yearns for is normalcy, a return to stability.
War through Photography
Caimi and Piccinni begin each description by detailing their jobs or homes before the war. Students, engineers, doctors, and mothers—titles that lie behind titles like soldier, wounded, refugee, and widow. The visual content shows the physicality of these war scars and the individual faces of those who are living them. The title “War Scars” seems to describe something very corporeal, the burns, wounds, and tears of those everyday Ukrainians on the front lines, yet it seems that the real War Scars lie in another dimension. The Ukrainians’ war scars are their longing for the past and hope for the future. Remember that the initial spark that began this conflict (westernization) has not ended: the future will fall somewhere on a spectrum with Ukrainian membership in NATO on one side and dependent ties (as is the case with Belarus) on the other. Only time (and lives) will tell where Ukraine will end up.

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War through Photography

  • 2. “‘What do you see when you close your eyes?’ This simple question was asked to a group of mostly young soldiers at a military base near Donetsk, prior to their departure for the front line. Their faces were captured on fil, their visions and dreams individually annotated in a diary. This portrait shot reveals an inner panorama of emotions – hopes, fears, wishes, and philosophical considerations. Most of all, there is a willingness to say farewell to loved ones, to die for one’s country. The individual faces of war cannot hide the pain and fear for the future, and at first glance what they see is an uncertainty and danger. Naturally, the thought of war evokes images of destruction and separation.
  • 3. The young nation of Ukraine has suffered greatly in comparison to many of its former Soviet allies. Its independence in 1992 was recognized as the true end of the Soviet Union given Ukraine’s strength within and outside Eastern Europe. Ukraine had the second largest GDP after Russia among former Soviet regions, and its close socio-linguistic ties made its separation the most difficult for Russia to accept. The Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were quite autonomous and unique; Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia were very distant from Russian control; and finally the –stan nations identified more strongly with their central Asian identity than with a Soviet one. Only Belarus can be argued to have been closer to Russia, but Ukraine’s economic strength made it a more significant loss. Historically, Russia’s interests lay in Eastern Ukraine and many experts see the current war as an extension of the Cold War politics.
  • 4. “Usually people measure time in seconds, minutes, or days. Here I measure time with the lives of those who give them away, for others to live. How many more?” wondered Yaroslav, a soon to be frontline soldier seeing the fate of his compatriots during the war. In many ways, Yaroslav embodies the spirit of change in Ukraine. Many long for their family, others worry about the future, and some simply hope for a better Ukraine. They are not analysts determining the right political maneuvers to ensure peace and happiness for all. They simply close their eyes and think, think of what the future will be and of what comforts or scares them in their times of need. “War Dreams” showcases a variety of Ukrainians of diverse ages and geographic backgrounds who unite to defend their nation.
  • 6. Before war comes preparations, volunteers strategically and mentally readying themselves for the fight ahead. As the natural progression of “War Dreams”, War Games dives into the physical manifestation of armed conflict . Can we ever be ready for something so life altering as war? The photographs expose a gloomy sky, paralleling the sentiment of the Ukrainians; the soldiers pose in very still positions, almost like toy army men and women. It seems almost like a dream, but this is their reality. Generalizations are not a thing of the past, unfortunately. Ever since US President Ronald Reagan’s characterization of the Soviet Union as evil, international relations seem to be viewed primarily in black and white in the United States. The United States is always seen as the hero and its enemies in Russia, Iraq, and Iran as the evildoers who need to be stopped. The way this conflict in Ukraine has been spoken of seems to delineate clear borders between protecting a noble, pro-western Ukraine against an evil expansionist Putin-lead Russia.
  • 7. But look closer. Most people would not be able to pick out the name Azov Battalion, yet it is one of the greatest forces supporting the national government. It must be good, right? Well, depends on what the observer defines as good: yes, it is trying to restore peace in Ukraine and retain its sovereignty against mighty Russia, but it has also been recognized for its proto-national socialist policies that often run in with anti-Semitic rhetoric. Who should really be supported? When black and white bleed into each other and everything is gray, what can the meaning of this violence be? What keeps soldiers marching to the front lines? War Games focus on the soldiers, the guns, and the village. This is the mobilization of both forces and of emotions. They wait, they prepare, and they march.
  • 9. “You never can be prepared for war,” explains Serghei, a wounded Ukrainian soldier, “because training is one thing, but war is absolutely different. You can be prepared for fighting in the field, but then you must protect the columns or shoot at a block post. Different types of fights, different towns, and now also different types of weapons; you never know what to expect.” On June 15, near Sloviansk, during the retrieval of a shot down helicopter, his vehicle was hit by a RPG (rocket- propelled grenade) and Serghei and his driver was engulfed by flames. Serghei has since undergone many surgeries. His body may never recover.
  • 10. Finally, we arrive at War Scars. The above, a description of a graphic injury, is paired with an image that conveys the damage war has done. Though not shown here due its graphic nature, the image presents Serghei, burned and hurt after the hell of war. What is striking about this man is his final remark to the photographer: “After rehabilitation I hopes to return to my previous work.” Through the depths of pain and suffering, what he yearns for is normalcy, a return to stability.
  • 12. Caimi and Piccinni begin each description by detailing their jobs or homes before the war. Students, engineers, doctors, and mothers—titles that lie behind titles like soldier, wounded, refugee, and widow. The visual content shows the physicality of these war scars and the individual faces of those who are living them. The title “War Scars” seems to describe something very corporeal, the burns, wounds, and tears of those everyday Ukrainians on the front lines, yet it seems that the real War Scars lie in another dimension. The Ukrainians’ war scars are their longing for the past and hope for the future. Remember that the initial spark that began this conflict (westernization) has not ended: the future will fall somewhere on a spectrum with Ukrainian membership in NATO on one side and dependent ties (as is the case with Belarus) on the other. Only time (and lives) will tell where Ukraine will end up.