Ten years ago, in March 2014, Russian hybrid forces began seizing the authorities in Donbas. Before that, Russian “green men” annexed Crimea, and then began to gradually occupy Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukrainian cities resisted, among them the million-dollar city - Donetsk.
Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes photos of photographer from Donetsk Sergey Vaganov. In his eyes, pro-Russian mercenaries took Donetsk from the Ukrainians, and from his own home.
After the escape of Yanukovych during Revolution of Dignity pro-Russian forces have intensified in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine. They organized rallies with the participation of imported citizens of the Russian Federation demanding federalization and separation from Ukraine.
On March 5, 2014, the largest pro-Ukrainian rally was held in Donetsk under the slogan “10,000 brave for 45 million alone”. The large-scale action significantly overshadowed the paid pro-Russian rallies with the phrases “Hear Donbas”. Three years later, this date will officially become the Day of Civil Resistance of Donbas to the Russian occupation.
It was the last peaceful rally in the city. A week later, on March 13, a social activist, a participant in the Revolution of Dignity, 22-year-old Dmitry Chernyavsky, was killed at the protest action. Ukrainian security forces did not disperse pro-Russian mercenaries, but silently watched as they attacked peaceful activists with various types of weapons: knives, reinforcement, batons, etc. Pro-Ukrainian rallies in the east continued until April 28, 2014. Yet further: the occupation and the war that continues until now.
In the eyes of photographer Sergei Vaganov, the Russians took away the city in which he lived for 15 years. The Russians occupied Donetsk gradually. At first, pro-Russian activists went out on weekends, then began to seize administrative buildings.
“Then I had no feeling that we would lose Donetsk for 10 years,” Serhiy says. “From the very beginning, my friends and I expected that our security forces would somehow restore order. Unfortunately, the security forces turned out to be weak. There were a lot of traitors. It was a hybrid attack that no one was ready for. Neither the authorities on the ground nor the authorities in Kiev. They gradually captured the city, the region. There was a feeling as if some snake was strangling you, but gradually. There was no such thing — once and for all! At first, they held rallies on weekends. Then they began to capture the police, the prosecutor's office, the SBU and military units. There was no resistance from the security forces. That was the worst part. For quite a long time there was such a period when barricades were standing around the captured Donetsk administration, they copied the Maidan.
On April 7, 2014 in Donetsk, a crowd of pro-Russian mercenaries seized the regional state administration building, announcing the creation of the so-called “Donetsk People's Republic”. The day before that, on April 6, Kharkiv proclaimed the “KhPR”, which lasted only a day, according to the same scenario.
Sergey Vaganov watched the events in both cities hoping that the “DPR” would repeat the fate of the “KhPR”, that is, he notes a fiasco. “We were waiting for help. And I remember, here in Kharkiv, the police of the special forces drove these pro-Russian people from the Kharkiv Regional State Administration. We were waiting for this to happen in Donetsk. They waited the next day too. And nothing happened,” the photographer does not hide his disappointment.
Sergey emphasizes that there were a lot of visitors in Donetsk. He recalls that they were very easy to distinguish from the locals: “They asked where the toilets were. Did not navigate the city at all.
They went to capture the regional militia, and stopped near the city. It was the same with prosecutors. I'm not saying that there were no Donetsk residents, but they did bring many visitors.”
Over time, Moscow will begin to use the “DPR” as a tool for controlling Ukrainian territories to resolve a major war.
Sergey remembers these events with pain. He admits that antidepressants helped at least somehow to withstand all this. The photographer to the last continued to document everything that was happening in the city. Even when the militants have already declared themselves “power”. On July 5, 2014, Igor Girkin entered Donetsk. He fled there from neighboring Slavyansk, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated on July 4.
Sergey Vaganov went to shoot a press conference of the separatist leader. Even before the arrival of Girkin, there were already a lot of Russian fighters in the city: “There were Chechens, and Ossetians, and Don Cossacks, and all this woolly filth. And on July 10, both administrations were already captured, there was a press conference of Hirkin.
Before the conference, Sergei was detained by unknown people who said that they appreciated his professionalism and “do not recommend working for enemies”, that is, Ukraine. The photographer was offered to work on the TV channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Zvezda”. “I said to them, “What if I refuse?” I was answered: “Then you will go dig trenches for free!” I said I had asthma and showed an inhaler. And they told me: “Well, then you will die sooner.” And while they were waiting for some leader to solve my question, I asked to appoint Hirkin. They let me go and said they would find me later. But I shot and flew home, gathered my things and went to Mariupol,” Serhiy says.
Sergey Vaganov lived in Mariupol until March 2022. He again had to leave his city because of the invaders.
“I graduated from school in Mariupol. And then he worked for 15 years in Avdiivka by a doctor. Then he went into journalism, lived in Donetsk for 15 years, where he worked as a photographer and videographer. All of these cities of mine have already been captured or destroyed. All my geography stayed there.”
Serhiy Vaganov — Ukrainian reportage and documentary photographer. 1958. He graduated from Donetsk Medical Institute, after which he worked as a traumatologist in Avdiivka for 15 years. Since 1999 he worked as a photojournalist in Donetsk. After the occupation, he moved to Mariupol, where in 2022 he survived the siege of the city. Photographer's social networks: Facebook
Recall that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has started a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where he publishes memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.
Ten years ago, in March 2014, Russian hybrid forces began seizing the authorities in Donbas. Before that, Russian “green men” annexed Crimea, and then began to gradually occupy Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukrainian cities resisted, among them the million-dollar city - Donetsk.
Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes photos of photographer from Donetsk Sergey Vaganov. In his eyes, pro-Russian mercenaries took Donetsk from the Ukrainians, and from his own home.
After the escape of Yanukovych during Revolution of Dignity pro-Russian forces have intensified in the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine. They organized rallies with the participation of imported citizens of the Russian Federation demanding federalization and separation from Ukraine.
On March 5, 2014, the largest pro-Ukrainian rally was held in Donetsk under the slogan “10,000 brave for 45 million alone”. The large-scale action significantly overshadowed the paid pro-Russian rallies with the phrases “Hear Donbas”. Three years later, this date will officially become the Day of Civil Resistance of Donbas to the Russian occupation.
It was the last peaceful rally in the city. A week later, on March 13, a social activist, a participant in the Revolution of Dignity, 22-year-old Dmitry Chernyavsky, was killed at the protest action. Ukrainian security forces did not disperse pro-Russian mercenaries, but silently watched as they attacked peaceful activists with various types of weapons: knives, reinforcement, batons, etc. Pro-Ukrainian rallies in the east continued until April 28, 2014. Yet further: the occupation and the war that continues until now.
In the eyes of photographer Sergei Vaganov, the Russians took away the city in which he lived for 15 years. The Russians occupied Donetsk gradually. At first, pro-Russian activists went out on weekends, then began to seize administrative buildings.
“Then I had no feeling that we would lose Donetsk for 10 years,” Serhiy says. “From the very beginning, my friends and I expected that our security forces would somehow restore order. Unfortunately, the security forces turned out to be weak. There were a lot of traitors. It was a hybrid attack that no one was ready for. Neither the authorities on the ground nor the authorities in Kiev. They gradually captured the city, the region. There was a feeling as if some snake was strangling you, but gradually. There was no such thing — once and for all! At first, they held rallies on weekends. Then they began to capture the police, the prosecutor's office, the SBU and military units. There was no resistance from the security forces. That was the worst part. For quite a long time there was such a period when barricades were standing around the captured Donetsk administration, they copied the Maidan.
On April 7, 2014 in Donetsk, a crowd of pro-Russian mercenaries seized the regional state administration building, announcing the creation of the so-called “Donetsk People's Republic”. The day before that, on April 6, Kharkiv proclaimed the “KhPR”, which lasted only a day, according to the same scenario.
Sergey Vaganov watched the events in both cities hoping that the “DPR” would repeat the fate of the “KhPR”, that is, he notes a fiasco. “We were waiting for help. And I remember, here in Kharkiv, the police of the special forces drove these pro-Russian people from the Kharkiv Regional State Administration. We were waiting for this to happen in Donetsk. They waited the next day too. And nothing happened,” the photographer does not hide his disappointment.
Sergey emphasizes that there were a lot of visitors in Donetsk. He recalls that they were very easy to distinguish from the locals: “They asked where the toilets were. Did not navigate the city at all.
They went to capture the regional militia, and stopped near the city. It was the same with prosecutors. I'm not saying that there were no Donetsk residents, but they did bring many visitors.”
Over time, Moscow will begin to use the “DPR” as a tool for controlling Ukrainian territories to resolve a major war.
Sergey remembers these events with pain. He admits that antidepressants helped at least somehow to withstand all this. The photographer to the last continued to document everything that was happening in the city. Even when the militants have already declared themselves “power”. On July 5, 2014, Igor Girkin entered Donetsk. He fled there from neighboring Slavyansk, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated on July 4.
Sergey Vaganov went to shoot a press conference of the separatist leader. Even before the arrival of Girkin, there were already a lot of Russian fighters in the city: “There were Chechens, and Ossetians, and Don Cossacks, and all this woolly filth. And on July 10, both administrations were already captured, there was a press conference of Hirkin.
Before the conference, Sergei was detained by unknown people who said that they appreciated his professionalism and “do not recommend working for enemies”, that is, Ukraine. The photographer was offered to work on the TV channel of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation “Zvezda”. “I said to them, “What if I refuse?” I was answered: “Then you will go dig trenches for free!” I said I had asthma and showed an inhaler. And they told me: “Well, then you will die sooner.” And while they were waiting for some leader to solve my question, I asked to appoint Hirkin. They let me go and said they would find me later. But I shot and flew home, gathered my things and went to Mariupol,” Serhiy says.
Sergey Vaganov lived in Mariupol until March 2022. He again had to leave his city because of the invaders.
“I graduated from school in Mariupol. And then he worked for 15 years in Avdiivka by a doctor. Then he went into journalism, lived in Donetsk for 15 years, where he worked as a photographer and videographer. All of these cities of mine have already been captured or destroyed. All my geography stayed there.”
Serhiy Vaganov — Ukrainian reportage and documentary photographer. 1958. He graduated from Donetsk Medical Institute, after which he worked as a traumatologist in Avdiivka for 15 years. Since 1999 he worked as a photojournalist in Donetsk. After the occupation, he moved to Mariupol, where in 2022 he survived the siege of the city. Photographer's social networks: Facebook
Recall that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers has started a series of materials dedicated to key events of the Russian war against Ukraine, where he publishes memoirs and photographs of Ukrainian documentary photographers.
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
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