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Destroyed monuments and burnt equipment. Liberated Trostyanets in the photos of Oleh Pereverziev

11.12.2023
2
min read

The Russian army seized the town of Trosyatnets, Sumy Region, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion on 1 March 2022. Less than a month later, on 26 March, Ukrainian forces liberated the town from the Russian forces.

Today, the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers is publishing photographs taken by Oleg Pereverziev in Trostyanets in the spring of 2022. The photographer was one of the first to arrive in the liberated town and capture the aftermath of the Russian occupation.

Occupation of Trostyanets

On the evening of 24 February, a convoy of Russian military vehicles stopped on the outskirts of the town of Trostyanets. The town is only 30 kilometers from the Russian border. On the first evening, the Russian army shelled the Trostyanets District Museum of Local History, which is an architectural monument. According to locals, the Russian military fired at anything that looked good to them.

On the morning of 25 February, fighting broke out in Trostyanets and neighboring Okhtyrka. The Ukrainian military blew up a bridge over the Vorskla River to prevent Russian troops from advancing along the Sumy-Poltava highway. The next day, Ukrainian artillery destroyed a convoy of Russian vehicles moving around the destroyed bridge. On 28 February, however, a column of Russian military equipment entered Trostyanets from the town of Lebedyn and occupied the Smorodyne railway station.

The destroyed Pryvokzalna Square in Trostyanets. Russian troops were based here. March 2022. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

The next day, on 1 March 2022, the Russian army entered Trostyanets in three columns and completely occupied the town. The Russian military smashed the gate to the Round Yard with a tank and destroyed the art gallery. Almost all power lines and roads in the city were damaged, the Internet was cut off, and television and radio did not broadcast. The Russian army deployed military equipment in residential areas of the city and the residents of Trostyanets were essentially taken hostage.

 In March, Russian soldiers looted shops and destroyed offices. Civilians were killed during the occupation of the town. For example, on the night of 8-9 March, Russian artillery shelled the former Elektrobutprylad factory. Three people were killed, including a 13-year-old boy. There was no heating, water, or food in the town. People collected water from wells. Schools, kindergartens, and a local restaurateur baked bread and distributed it to people for free. At the beginning of March, it was impossible to leave Trostyanets because there were no evacuation corridors. The "green corridors" were opened on 10 March.

Destroyed Russian military equipment in Trostyanets, Sumy region. End of March 2022. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

Without anxiety

On the night of 16 March, soldiers of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodnyi Yar" managed to destroy a howitzer division of Russian troops stationed at the Trostyanets railway station. On 18 March, Ukrainian troops destroyed a convoy of enemy vehicles near Trostyanets. The convoy included a T-80UM2 Black Eagle research tank. There was only one of these tanks in service with the Russian Federation. Late in the evening of 22 March, fighting and artillery shelling broke out in Trostyanets, and a large fire broke out in the town. The town had been without water, electricity, and medical supplies for almost a month.

Intense fighting for the liberation of Trostyanets began on 25 March. On 26 March, Ukrainian troops of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodnyi Yar" liberated the town of Trostyanets from the Russian army. The town suffered heavy losses and destruction. The Russian military mined many civilian objects.

Photographer Oleh Pereverziev arrived in Trostianets on the second day after the town was liberated and photographed there on 28 and 29 March. Before that, he had been in Kharkiv for almost a week. In the early days, it was difficult to get to Trostyanets. The bridge over the Vorskla River near the village of Klymentove was damaged, and the pontoon crossing was impassable for the photographer's car. "We took a detour from Okhtyrka to Trostyanets, through the surrounding villages, following a volunteer minibus carrying humanitarian aid," recalls Oleh Pereverziev.

Boxes of Russian ammunition on the station square in Trostyanets. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

At the entrance, the town seemed intact. Closer to the station square, signs of destruction began to appear. Military equipment was damaged and burnt on the square and near the station, and many buildings were destroyed. A large trench blocked the way to the station. The journalists who had come to the city started their work from there.

Damaged carriages at the Trostianets station. March 2022. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

"Despite the extensive destruction, there was none of the sense of danger and anxiety that I had felt a few days earlier in Saltivka, Kharkiv, or later in Borodianka," says Oleh Peverziev, "Although I was one of the few photographers to arrive in Trostyanets immediately after it was liberated, I think I took very few pictures. There was no mobile coverage in the town and I had to be close to my car in case of an emergency. It was difficult to concentrate on photography when I had to keep an eye on the photographers who were with me and return to the car periodically. Oleg Pereverziev helped transport photographers Maxim Dondyuk and James Nachtwey.

Heavily damaged city. March 2022. Photo by Oleh Pereverziev

Oleh Pereverziev is a Ukrainian documentary photographer. He has been published in Ukrainer and many other publications.

Photographer's social media:
Facebook
Instagram

We would like to remind you that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has launched a series of materials dedicated to the key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where we will publish memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.

The project is being implemented with the support of the  ЗМІN

The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Katya Moskalyuk
Bildeditor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar

The Russian army seized the town of Trosyatnets, Sumy Region, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion on 1 March 2022. Less than a month later, on 26 March, Ukrainian forces liberated the town from the Russian forces.

Today, the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers is publishing photographs taken by Oleg Pereverziev in Trostyanets in the spring of 2022. The photographer was one of the first to arrive in the liberated town and capture the aftermath of the Russian occupation.

Occupation of Trostyanets

On the evening of 24 February, a convoy of Russian military vehicles stopped on the outskirts of the town of Trostyanets. The town is only 30 kilometers from the Russian border. On the first evening, the Russian army shelled the Trostyanets District Museum of Local History, which is an architectural monument. According to locals, the Russian military fired at anything that looked good to them.

On the morning of 25 February, fighting broke out in Trostyanets and neighboring Okhtyrka. The Ukrainian military blew up a bridge over the Vorskla River to prevent Russian troops from advancing along the Sumy-Poltava highway. The next day, Ukrainian artillery destroyed a convoy of Russian vehicles moving around the destroyed bridge. On 28 February, however, a column of Russian military equipment entered Trostyanets from the town of Lebedyn and occupied the Smorodyne railway station.

The destroyed Pryvokzalna Square in Trostyanets. Russian troops were based here. March 2022. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

The next day, on 1 March 2022, the Russian army entered Trostyanets in three columns and completely occupied the town. The Russian military smashed the gate to the Round Yard with a tank and destroyed the art gallery. Almost all power lines and roads in the city were damaged, the Internet was cut off, and television and radio did not broadcast. The Russian army deployed military equipment in residential areas of the city and the residents of Trostyanets were essentially taken hostage.

 In March, Russian soldiers looted shops and destroyed offices. Civilians were killed during the occupation of the town. For example, on the night of 8-9 March, Russian artillery shelled the former Elektrobutprylad factory. Three people were killed, including a 13-year-old boy. There was no heating, water, or food in the town. People collected water from wells. Schools, kindergartens, and a local restaurateur baked bread and distributed it to people for free. At the beginning of March, it was impossible to leave Trostyanets because there were no evacuation corridors. The "green corridors" were opened on 10 March.

Destroyed Russian military equipment in Trostyanets, Sumy region. End of March 2022. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

Without anxiety

On the night of 16 March, soldiers of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodnyi Yar" managed to destroy a howitzer division of Russian troops stationed at the Trostyanets railway station. On 18 March, Ukrainian troops destroyed a convoy of enemy vehicles near Trostyanets. The convoy included a T-80UM2 Black Eagle research tank. There was only one of these tanks in service with the Russian Federation. Late in the evening of 22 March, fighting and artillery shelling broke out in Trostyanets, and a large fire broke out in the town. The town had been without water, electricity, and medical supplies for almost a month.

Intense fighting for the liberation of Trostyanets began on 25 March. On 26 March, Ukrainian troops of the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodnyi Yar" liberated the town of Trostyanets from the Russian army. The town suffered heavy losses and destruction. The Russian military mined many civilian objects.

Photographer Oleh Pereverziev arrived in Trostianets on the second day after the town was liberated and photographed there on 28 and 29 March. Before that, he had been in Kharkiv for almost a week. In the early days, it was difficult to get to Trostyanets. The bridge over the Vorskla River near the village of Klymentove was damaged, and the pontoon crossing was impassable for the photographer's car. "We took a detour from Okhtyrka to Trostyanets, through the surrounding villages, following a volunteer minibus carrying humanitarian aid," recalls Oleh Pereverziev.

Boxes of Russian ammunition on the station square in Trostyanets. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

At the entrance, the town seemed intact. Closer to the station square, signs of destruction began to appear. Military equipment was damaged and burnt on the square and near the station, and many buildings were destroyed. A large trench blocked the way to the station. The journalists who had come to the city started their work from there.

Damaged carriages at the Trostianets station. March 2022. Photo by Oleh Peverziev

"Despite the extensive destruction, there was none of the sense of danger and anxiety that I had felt a few days earlier in Saltivka, Kharkiv, or later in Borodianka," says Oleh Peverziev, "Although I was one of the few photographers to arrive in Trostyanets immediately after it was liberated, I think I took very few pictures. There was no mobile coverage in the town and I had to be close to my car in case of an emergency. It was difficult to concentrate on photography when I had to keep an eye on the photographers who were with me and return to the car periodically. Oleg Pereverziev helped transport photographers Maxim Dondyuk and James Nachtwey.

Heavily damaged city. March 2022. Photo by Oleh Pereverziev

Oleh Pereverziev is a Ukrainian documentary photographer. He has been published in Ukrainer and many other publications.

Photographer's social media:
Facebook
Instagram

We would like to remind you that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has launched a series of materials dedicated to the key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where we will publish memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.

The project is being implemented with the support of the  ЗМІN

The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Katya Moskalyuk
Bildeditor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar

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