We continue to share the documentary projects of the finalists within the framework of grant support from the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers. Tymofiу Melnykov traveled to Donetsk region to work on the documentary project Echoes of Donbas.
In November 2023, I went on a business trip to the Donetsk region. The main point of the route was the town of Hirnyk in the Donetsk region. It was located 12 kilometers from the front line at the time of the trip and 25 kilometers from occupied Donetsk. Before the war, it was home to more than 10,000 residents, and now only a few remain. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the town has been under constant shelling. Most people have left the city, and those who remain are forced to survive.
The purpose of the trip itself is a humanitarian mission to support the remaining residents. Volunteer groups are constantly traveling to the region to bring food, water, hygiene products and heating supplies to help the local population. The city itself has been without electricity, heating, water and cellular service for days, weeks and months. It can be reached via the main Dnipro-Donetsk highway, the main transportation hub for the entire country with fighting in the east.
The drive from Dnipro to the destination takes about 3 hours, more than 250 kilometers. Volunteers drive this distance every day, back and forth. They drive fully loaded trucks to provide residents with everything they need. Without humanitarian aid, life in this region is impossible, and there are no grocery stores in the towns near the front line.
Вугілля - це серце Донбасу. Весь регіон вкритий вугільними шахтами. Вугільна промисловість приносить прибуток як місцевим жителям, так і всій країні. Після початку війни у 2014 році багато шахт були окуповані Росією. Зараз, після початку нової фази війни у 2022 році, шахти, що залишилися, почали працювати в обмеженому режимі. Це значно зменшило доходи місцевого населення.
Протягом усієї подорожі мене супроводжувала група волонтерів у складі Аліни, Павла, Володимира та Максима. Вони працюють у благодійній організації «Діти нового покоління». Їхні волонтерські місії на Донбас здійснюються майже щодня позмінно. Без їхньої допомоги люди не змогли б тут існувати. Самі волонтери - місцеві жителі, після початку війни на Сході у 2014 році вони рік жили в окупованому Донецьку. Згодом переїхали на підконтрольну Україні територію. Але коли війна знову перейшла в гарячу фазу, і російська армія почала наступати, захоплюючи українські землі, вони вирішили допомогти рідному регіону.
The main goal of this trip is to help people prepare for the hard winter. With the support of HelpDesk Media, caring people raised money to help Donbass residents. And volunteers agreed to help organize the delivery of the aid. The main problem for the locals is the heat in winter. Despite the large coal reserves in Donetsk Oblast, it is very difficult to buy it here now. People don't have enough money to do so, and due to the low volume of coal production, there is not enough coal for everyone. So the mission was to find coal and deliver it to those who need it most.
There are a lot of spoil heaps in this region - artificial mountains made of rock that has been removed from a mine. People can find some coal on them to heat their homes. But now, for military reasons, most of the spoil heaps cannot be accessed, it can be dangerous.
У багатьох районах Донбасу спостерігається повна відсутність води: в одних місцях, як у самому Донецьку, з 2014 року, а в інших - нещодавно. У цій частині Донецької області води немає з середини 2013 року. Після того, як російська армія розбомбила дамбу Карлівського водосховища, тисячі людей змушені жити без водопостачання. Воду сюди привозять волонтери та місцева влада. Вона спільна - у багатьох дворах стоять громадські баки, де мешканці можуть самостійно набирати воду. Люди змушені так жити місяцями, економлячи воду, сподіваючись, що наступного разу баки не спорожніють.
Люди змушені організовувати своє повсякденне життя в умовах повної відсутності водопостачання. Потреба помитися, помити посуд або випрати білизну може стати для них справжнім випробуванням. Щоб жити нормальним життям, їм спочатку потрібно йти і набирати воду з мобільних цистерн. Вони змушені робити це щоразу, коли виходять на вулицю, побоюючись, що обстріл може розпочатися будь-якої миті.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (from February 2022 to November 2023), there have been more than 5,700 air raids in Donetsk region. Each of them poses a significant risk that the outcome for local residents could be fatal. During the same period, media and city authorities reported explosions in the region more than 1,100 times. More than 650 artillery attacks were recorded. This is the highest figure in the whole of Ukraine, and the most tragic. Many residents are forced to stay in their homes because they have nowhere else to hide.
In total, the conflict in Donbass has been going on for over 130 days. But in reality, this region has been living in terrible conditions since 2014. It was from the moment when the Russian army treacherously occupied Donetsk and Luhansk and later unleashed a bloody war. And then it did it again on a much more horrific scale in 2022, wiping out Mariupol, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and many other major cities in Donbas.
The frontline villages and towns of Donbas are shelled daily. These places are constantly subjected to rocket, artillery, mortar and drone attacks. Most houses are not equipped with bomb shelters and other means of protection. Local residents cannot hide from the shelling of the Russian army. Every day they live in fear that a shell might hit their house. To protect them from the shelling, a mobile bomb shelter was installed in the center of the village of Hirnyk to protect them from shrapnel during the shelling.
Галина живе в будинку зі своїм сином Русланом поруч з териконом. У них є невелике господарство і кілька маленьких кошенят. У їхньому старому будинку дуже холодно, і їм доводиться економити тепло, не відчиняючи вікна та двері. У них немає грошей, щоб купити вугілля, а одного мішка вугілля вистачає на цілий місяць. Іноді до них приходить місцевий дільничний Олександр і приносить гуманітарну допомогу.
The photo shows Oleksandr, a guy from Hirnyk. When he was young, he suffered an industrial injury while working in a mine. Since then, he has lost the ability to walk and has to use a wheelchair to get around. Now he earns his living by repairing bicycles, scooters and various tools. Volunteers brought him coal, because an ordinary miner from Donetsk Oblast cannot afford to buy coal for the winter.
This is Oksana's family, she has a husband and 3 small children. Their house smells strongly of burning, and they have to heat it with food packaging, newspapers, and drying rags. They live in one room to save on heating. Volunteers regularly visit their family and bring them everything they need to continue living. They can't evacuate because they have no relatives in other cities who could take them in.
This is Paraskovia, a pensioner from Hirnyk. Recently, she has not been getting out of bed at all. A few years ago, she suffered a serious injury and has not been able to move around since. She lives with her elderly sister. Together they support each other to survive in difficult conditions.
Every day Donbas is under constant fire from the Russian occupation forces. Thousands of people are suffering: many are wounded or killed, and their homes are destroyed. Many people have been forced to flee their homes and evacuate to safer regions. And the remaining residents are surviving in a bloody war of complete destruction. Thousands of homes have been destroyed since February 2022, and their residents will no longer be able to return to their homes.
During the full-scale war in Ukraine, many citizens cooperated for a common goal - to win the war. The photo shows a café on the border of Dnipropetrovska and Donetska oblasts, where all those who help the country in its time of need are fed free of charge. Soldiers, medics, volunteers, journalists and many others can have a free meal before a difficult trip to Donbass. The café owners are ready to help for free, doing their best. And all the volunteers are ready to help the café owners themselves so that they can continue to work for a common goal. The military leave their battle flags, artifacts and chevrons here as a memento.
Tymofiy Melnikov is a Ukrainian documentary filmmaker. For seven years of his career, he has devoted most of his time to journalism, namely reportage photography. Since February 24, 2022, he has been engaged in military documentary filming, chronicling the war in Odesa.
The program is implemented with the support of the International Press Institute.
We continue to share the documentary projects of the finalists within the framework of grant support from the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers. Tymofiу Melnykov traveled to Donetsk region to work on the documentary project Echoes of Donbas.
In November 2023, I went on a business trip to the Donetsk region. The main point of the route was the town of Hirnyk in the Donetsk region. It was located 12 kilometers from the front line at the time of the trip and 25 kilometers from occupied Donetsk. Before the war, it was home to more than 10,000 residents, and now only a few remain. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the town has been under constant shelling. Most people have left the city, and those who remain are forced to survive.
The purpose of the trip itself is a humanitarian mission to support the remaining residents. Volunteer groups are constantly traveling to the region to bring food, water, hygiene products and heating supplies to help the local population. The city itself has been without electricity, heating, water and cellular service for days, weeks and months. It can be reached via the main Dnipro-Donetsk highway, the main transportation hub for the entire country with fighting in the east.
The drive from Dnipro to the destination takes about 3 hours, more than 250 kilometers. Volunteers drive this distance every day, back and forth. They drive fully loaded trucks to provide residents with everything they need. Without humanitarian aid, life in this region is impossible, and there are no grocery stores in the towns near the front line.
Вугілля - це серце Донбасу. Весь регіон вкритий вугільними шахтами. Вугільна промисловість приносить прибуток як місцевим жителям, так і всій країні. Після початку війни у 2014 році багато шахт були окуповані Росією. Зараз, після початку нової фази війни у 2022 році, шахти, що залишилися, почали працювати в обмеженому режимі. Це значно зменшило доходи місцевого населення.
Протягом усієї подорожі мене супроводжувала група волонтерів у складі Аліни, Павла, Володимира та Максима. Вони працюють у благодійній організації «Діти нового покоління». Їхні волонтерські місії на Донбас здійснюються майже щодня позмінно. Без їхньої допомоги люди не змогли б тут існувати. Самі волонтери - місцеві жителі, після початку війни на Сході у 2014 році вони рік жили в окупованому Донецьку. Згодом переїхали на підконтрольну Україні територію. Але коли війна знову перейшла в гарячу фазу, і російська армія почала наступати, захоплюючи українські землі, вони вирішили допомогти рідному регіону.
The main goal of this trip is to help people prepare for the hard winter. With the support of HelpDesk Media, caring people raised money to help Donbass residents. And volunteers agreed to help organize the delivery of the aid. The main problem for the locals is the heat in winter. Despite the large coal reserves in Donetsk Oblast, it is very difficult to buy it here now. People don't have enough money to do so, and due to the low volume of coal production, there is not enough coal for everyone. So the mission was to find coal and deliver it to those who need it most.
There are a lot of spoil heaps in this region - artificial mountains made of rock that has been removed from a mine. People can find some coal on them to heat their homes. But now, for military reasons, most of the spoil heaps cannot be accessed, it can be dangerous.
У багатьох районах Донбасу спостерігається повна відсутність води: в одних місцях, як у самому Донецьку, з 2014 року, а в інших - нещодавно. У цій частині Донецької області води немає з середини 2013 року. Після того, як російська армія розбомбила дамбу Карлівського водосховища, тисячі людей змушені жити без водопостачання. Воду сюди привозять волонтери та місцева влада. Вона спільна - у багатьох дворах стоять громадські баки, де мешканці можуть самостійно набирати воду. Люди змушені так жити місяцями, економлячи воду, сподіваючись, що наступного разу баки не спорожніють.
Люди змушені організовувати своє повсякденне життя в умовах повної відсутності водопостачання. Потреба помитися, помити посуд або випрати білизну може стати для них справжнім випробуванням. Щоб жити нормальним життям, їм спочатку потрібно йти і набирати воду з мобільних цистерн. Вони змушені робити це щоразу, коли виходять на вулицю, побоюючись, що обстріл може розпочатися будь-якої миті.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (from February 2022 to November 2023), there have been more than 5,700 air raids in Donetsk region. Each of them poses a significant risk that the outcome for local residents could be fatal. During the same period, media and city authorities reported explosions in the region more than 1,100 times. More than 650 artillery attacks were recorded. This is the highest figure in the whole of Ukraine, and the most tragic. Many residents are forced to stay in their homes because they have nowhere else to hide.
In total, the conflict in Donbass has been going on for over 130 days. But in reality, this region has been living in terrible conditions since 2014. It was from the moment when the Russian army treacherously occupied Donetsk and Luhansk and later unleashed a bloody war. And then it did it again on a much more horrific scale in 2022, wiping out Mariupol, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and many other major cities in Donbas.
The frontline villages and towns of Donbas are shelled daily. These places are constantly subjected to rocket, artillery, mortar and drone attacks. Most houses are not equipped with bomb shelters and other means of protection. Local residents cannot hide from the shelling of the Russian army. Every day they live in fear that a shell might hit their house. To protect them from the shelling, a mobile bomb shelter was installed in the center of the village of Hirnyk to protect them from shrapnel during the shelling.
Галина живе в будинку зі своїм сином Русланом поруч з териконом. У них є невелике господарство і кілька маленьких кошенят. У їхньому старому будинку дуже холодно, і їм доводиться економити тепло, не відчиняючи вікна та двері. У них немає грошей, щоб купити вугілля, а одного мішка вугілля вистачає на цілий місяць. Іноді до них приходить місцевий дільничний Олександр і приносить гуманітарну допомогу.
The photo shows Oleksandr, a guy from Hirnyk. When he was young, he suffered an industrial injury while working in a mine. Since then, he has lost the ability to walk and has to use a wheelchair to get around. Now he earns his living by repairing bicycles, scooters and various tools. Volunteers brought him coal, because an ordinary miner from Donetsk Oblast cannot afford to buy coal for the winter.
This is Oksana's family, she has a husband and 3 small children. Their house smells strongly of burning, and they have to heat it with food packaging, newspapers, and drying rags. They live in one room to save on heating. Volunteers regularly visit their family and bring them everything they need to continue living. They can't evacuate because they have no relatives in other cities who could take them in.
This is Paraskovia, a pensioner from Hirnyk. Recently, she has not been getting out of bed at all. A few years ago, she suffered a serious injury and has not been able to move around since. She lives with her elderly sister. Together they support each other to survive in difficult conditions.
Every day Donbas is under constant fire from the Russian occupation forces. Thousands of people are suffering: many are wounded or killed, and their homes are destroyed. Many people have been forced to flee their homes and evacuate to safer regions. And the remaining residents are surviving in a bloody war of complete destruction. Thousands of homes have been destroyed since February 2022, and their residents will no longer be able to return to their homes.
During the full-scale war in Ukraine, many citizens cooperated for a common goal - to win the war. The photo shows a café on the border of Dnipropetrovska and Donetska oblasts, where all those who help the country in its time of need are fed free of charge. Soldiers, medics, volunteers, journalists and many others can have a free meal before a difficult trip to Donbass. The café owners are ready to help for free, doing their best. And all the volunteers are ready to help the café owners themselves so that they can continue to work for a common goal. The military leave their battle flags, artifacts and chevrons here as a memento.
Tymofiy Melnikov is a Ukrainian documentary filmmaker. For seven years of his career, he has devoted most of his time to journalism, namely reportage photography. Since February 24, 2022, he has been engaged in military documentary filming, chronicling the war in Odesa.
The program is implemented with the support of the International Press Institute.
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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