2nd place
silver star award
Sergei Stroitelev
denmark Photo © Sergei Stroitelev
title
Elmira
The characters of this story are children from different regions of Ukraine that have been subjected to the Russian aggression - Nikolaev, Kharkov, Kherson and others. All of them live in a temporary accommodation center in Chisinau, Moldexpo. This is a former exhibition complex, and later a covid hospital. Children are forced to huddle in small boxes without doors or ceilings, in unsanitary conditions. These boys and girls are acutely worried about leaving home, they miss their relatives, friends who stayed in Ukraine, pets, toys, favorite parks and streets.
Within the framework of the story, with the help of a projector, I overlay photographs from the happy, pre-war past of these children onto their figures and current living conditions thus showing the consequences of this terrible war.
I asked the children's parents for the projected photos, we chose them all together - these are the most memorable and dearest images, reminiscent of home, which capture favorite places and moments which were destroyed by the war.
Elmira is 16 years old, she came from Odessa together with her mother, frightened by the prospects to die during bombings. It was difficult to get to Chisinau - they had to stand in a traffic jam for two days.
The photograph projected onto the girl shows a field of sunflowers where she spent time with her friends in the summer.
My photographic practice is particularly committed and investigates people in the contexts of social injustices and consequences of conflicts all around the globe. With the help of different visual languages, dignity and respect towards my chacarters I look at the problems of migration, identity of minorities, discrimination on the basis of gender, health and race, ecological issues.
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entry description
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, more than 400 thousand refugees have entered neighboring Moldova, most of whom continued their journey to Europe, but 90 thousand remained on the territory of the Republic. More than 70 thousand of them are minors.The characters of this story are children from different regions of Ukraine that have been subjected to the Russian aggression - Nikolaev, Kharkov, Kherson and others. All of them live in a temporary accommodation center in Chisinau, Moldexpo. This is a former exhibition complex, and later a covid hospital. Children are forced to huddle in small boxes without doors or ceilings, in unsanitary conditions. These boys and girls are acutely worried about leaving home, they miss their relatives, friends who stayed in Ukraine, pets, toys, favorite parks and streets.
Within the framework of the story, with the help of a projector, I overlay photographs from the happy, pre-war past of these children onto their figures and current living conditions thus showing the consequences of this terrible war.
I asked the children's parents for the projected photos, we chose them all together - these are the most memorable and dearest images, reminiscent of home, which capture favorite places and moments which were destroyed by the war.
Elmira is 16 years old, she came from Odessa together with her mother, frightened by the prospects to die during bombings. It was difficult to get to Chisinau - they had to stand in a traffic jam for two days.
The photograph projected onto the girl shows a field of sunflowers where she spent time with her friends in the summer.
about the photographer
I am a freelance photographer based in Denmark working with VICE UK/USA, De Volkskrant, Takie Dela, Meduza, Novaya Gazeta, others.My photographic practice is particularly committed and investigates people in the contexts of social injustices and consequences of conflicts all around the globe. With the help of different visual languages, dignity and respect towards my chacarters I look at the problems of migration, identity of minorities, discrimination on the basis of gender, health and race, ecological issues.
back to gallery