The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, in partnership with FotoEvidence, is implementing the three-year FotoEvidence Ukraine initiative, which has been documenting the Russian invasion since 2014 through photo books and exhibitions. This large-scale project, supported by the Open Society Foundations and the Renaissance Foundation, aims to preserve the memory of the war and support photographers who risk their lives for the sake of truth.
The first book published by FotoEvidence, which has become a symbol of documenting the crimes of Russian aggression, is Ukraine: A War Crime. This publication contains over 360 photos and 35 testimonies from more than 90 photojournalists from 29 countries. The book received the title “Photo Book of the Year” by the International Photography Awards and was shortlisted for the Arles Historical Book Award 2023.
However, FotoEvidence's work did not end there. This time, in cooperation with the UAPF, it was decided to create a global archive of the war in Ukraine from the photographs of Ukrainian photographers, covering the period from 2014 to the present. To do this, from August to November 2024, the new project team accepted applications from Ukrainian photographers and photo documentary filmmakers. The project is called “Photo Chronicles of War” and is the next step in documenting a history that is still ongoing.
The team of this project from FotoEvidence Ukraine is headed by Svitlana Bachevanova, the project manager in Ukraine is Olha Kovaleva, and the editor-in-chief is Iryna Gromotska. They spoke about the importance and implementation of this large-scale project.
“Cooperation with FotoEvidence within the framework of the FotoEvidence Ukraine project is extremely important for us, as it allows us to realize the mission of UAPP - to support Ukrainian photographers and popularize Ukrainian photography in the world,“ says Olga Kovaleva, project manager in Ukraine. ‘The upcoming book ’Photo Chronicles of War” is a concrete example of how we can support our community. It not only documents contemporary history, but also provides Ukrainian artists with a platform to express and recognize their work. It is symbolic that the introduction to the book will be written by UAPP founder Mstyslav Chernov, emphasizing the unity and significance of this project.”
Svitlana Bachevanova, director of FotoEvidence Ukraine, emphasizes that it is important to give Ukrainian photographers the opportunity to record the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war. “Ukrainian photographers create unique testimonies that have a deep emotional dimension. They don't just document events, but convey life as it is during the war,” Svitlana notes. According to her, the book “Photo Chronicles of the War” will bring together the works of more than 50 photographers. “It will be not just a photo book, but a comprehensive archive of Ukraine's modern history that will reveal the human dimension of the conflict,” she emphasizes.
Olha Kovaleva says that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers is a key partner in this project. “We coordinate the involvement of Ukrainian photographers, support the selection of materials for the photo books, and ensure their popularization among the international audience. For us, this project is one of the key areas of support for the Ukrainian photography community. We create opportunities for those who risk their lives every day to document the realities of war so that their voices can be heard around the world. Thanks to our efforts and cooperation with partners such as FotoEvidence, we show that photography is not only art, but also an important tool for preserving memory and fighting for the truth,” says Olga.
The cooperation between FotoEvidence and UAPP is reaching a new level with the launch of the three-year FotoEvidence Ukraine initiative, which aims to publish photo books annually. “The idea of this project is to create books that document the war in Ukraine. Each year we will accept applications from photographers, selecting the best projects for publication,” says Svitlana Bachevanova. ”Our first edition, Photo Chronicles of War, will be an important addition to our relationship with UAPP. The book will include works by members of the association and will cover the events of the war since 2014.”
According to Svitlana, about 50 photographers have already contributed to the book, although this number may change. “It will be a very restrained, documentary depiction of the events that have shaped the history of Ukraine over the past decade. The author of the texts is the writer Myroslav Laiuk, who will describe the events, while photos and captions will add visual context,” she adds.
The work on the project by FotoEvidence and the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPF) is already at its final stage. According to the project's editor-in-chief, Iryna Hromotska, she will soon meet with photo editor Sarah Lynn to finalize the selection of photos for the book. At the same time, the design team is working on creating a visual concept for the publication. “We have also completed the selection for the next books within the framework of cooperation between FotoEvidence and UAPF. We held an open competition, accepting applications for personal projects from photographers,” adds Iryna.
According to her, the most difficult stage was working with archival materials. A particular challenge for Iryna was finding photos from 2014 to the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. Iryna explains that the team contacted authors who could preserve the necessary footage, received and sorted the archives, and worked on structuring them. Based on the collected materials, she and Sarah Lynn are working together to select the photos that will be included in the publication.
The book “Photo Chronicles of the War” will be the first and largest collection of photographs taken by Ukrainian artists who have documented the events of the war over the past 10 years. This is a unique project that brings together the work of many photographers, creating a deep and powerful archive of Ukraine's modern history. “This book is important for the entire history of documenting wars, because it has collected the works of those who live in the conditions of this war and feel it every day,” says Svitlana Bachevanova.
“Photo Chronicles of the War is more than a book. It is an archive of our history, our pain and struggle, which we preserve for future generations and show to the world. This cooperation strengthens the role of UAPP as a cultural and professional center of Ukrainian photography,” adds Olga Kovaleva.
Olha says that implementing such a large-scale project is always a challenge. According to her, one of the main difficulties was securing funding and coordinating the work of a large number of participants. “However, thanks to the support of the Open Society Foundations and the International Renaissance Foundation, we were able to overcome these barriers. The most important thing for us is to give photographers the opportunity to continue their work and know that their work is appreciated and supported,” says Olha.
“The most important thing for us is to give photographers the opportunity to continue their work and know that their work is appreciated and supported.” - Olha Kovaleva
A large part of the edition's circulation will be donated to libraries, including those affected by the war, as well as school libraries. The book is being presented at numerous festivals, from human rights and photojournalism festivals to panel discussions. “We presented the previous editions at 19 venues in Europe, and we will continue this practice. It is important to remind people that the war is still ongoing. We have to talk about it constantly,” emphasizes Svitlana.
Svitlana Bachevanova emphasizes that the implementation of the War Photo Chronicles project would not have been possible without the support of key partners: “This initiative became a reality thanks to the Open Society Foundations and the International Renaissance Foundation. They fully fund the project, and without their support we would not have been able to do it.”
The first exhibition “Photo Chronicles of War” will open at the Mystetskyi Arsenal on May 28, 2025. The event will coincide with the Book Arsenal and will become a powerful platform for discussions with photographers and the public. This event is a reminder of the ongoing war and the importance of the truth documented by Ukrainian photography.
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, in partnership with FotoEvidence, is implementing the three-year FotoEvidence Ukraine initiative, which has been documenting the Russian invasion since 2014 through photo books and exhibitions. This large-scale project, supported by the Open Society Foundations and the Renaissance Foundation, aims to preserve the memory of the war and support photographers who risk their lives for the sake of truth.
The first book published by FotoEvidence, which has become a symbol of documenting the crimes of Russian aggression, is Ukraine: A War Crime. This publication contains over 360 photos and 35 testimonies from more than 90 photojournalists from 29 countries. The book received the title “Photo Book of the Year” by the International Photography Awards and was shortlisted for the Arles Historical Book Award 2023.
However, FotoEvidence's work did not end there. This time, in cooperation with the UAPF, it was decided to create a global archive of the war in Ukraine from the photographs of Ukrainian photographers, covering the period from 2014 to the present. To do this, from August to November 2024, the new project team accepted applications from Ukrainian photographers and photo documentary filmmakers. The project is called “Photo Chronicles of War” and is the next step in documenting a history that is still ongoing.
The team of this project from FotoEvidence Ukraine is headed by Svitlana Bachevanova, the project manager in Ukraine is Olha Kovaleva, and the editor-in-chief is Iryna Gromotska. They spoke about the importance and implementation of this large-scale project.
“Cooperation with FotoEvidence within the framework of the FotoEvidence Ukraine project is extremely important for us, as it allows us to realize the mission of UAPP - to support Ukrainian photographers and popularize Ukrainian photography in the world,“ says Olga Kovaleva, project manager in Ukraine. ‘The upcoming book ’Photo Chronicles of War” is a concrete example of how we can support our community. It not only documents contemporary history, but also provides Ukrainian artists with a platform to express and recognize their work. It is symbolic that the introduction to the book will be written by UAPP founder Mstyslav Chernov, emphasizing the unity and significance of this project.”
Svitlana Bachevanova, director of FotoEvidence Ukraine, emphasizes that it is important to give Ukrainian photographers the opportunity to record the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war. “Ukrainian photographers create unique testimonies that have a deep emotional dimension. They don't just document events, but convey life as it is during the war,” Svitlana notes. According to her, the book “Photo Chronicles of the War” will bring together the works of more than 50 photographers. “It will be not just a photo book, but a comprehensive archive of Ukraine's modern history that will reveal the human dimension of the conflict,” she emphasizes.
Olha Kovaleva says that the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers is a key partner in this project. “We coordinate the involvement of Ukrainian photographers, support the selection of materials for the photo books, and ensure their popularization among the international audience. For us, this project is one of the key areas of support for the Ukrainian photography community. We create opportunities for those who risk their lives every day to document the realities of war so that their voices can be heard around the world. Thanks to our efforts and cooperation with partners such as FotoEvidence, we show that photography is not only art, but also an important tool for preserving memory and fighting for the truth,” says Olga.
The cooperation between FotoEvidence and UAPP is reaching a new level with the launch of the three-year FotoEvidence Ukraine initiative, which aims to publish photo books annually. “The idea of this project is to create books that document the war in Ukraine. Each year we will accept applications from photographers, selecting the best projects for publication,” says Svitlana Bachevanova. ”Our first edition, Photo Chronicles of War, will be an important addition to our relationship with UAPP. The book will include works by members of the association and will cover the events of the war since 2014.”
According to Svitlana, about 50 photographers have already contributed to the book, although this number may change. “It will be a very restrained, documentary depiction of the events that have shaped the history of Ukraine over the past decade. The author of the texts is the writer Myroslav Laiuk, who will describe the events, while photos and captions will add visual context,” she adds.
The work on the project by FotoEvidence and the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPF) is already at its final stage. According to the project's editor-in-chief, Iryna Hromotska, she will soon meet with photo editor Sarah Lynn to finalize the selection of photos for the book. At the same time, the design team is working on creating a visual concept for the publication. “We have also completed the selection for the next books within the framework of cooperation between FotoEvidence and UAPF. We held an open competition, accepting applications for personal projects from photographers,” adds Iryna.
According to her, the most difficult stage was working with archival materials. A particular challenge for Iryna was finding photos from 2014 to the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. Iryna explains that the team contacted authors who could preserve the necessary footage, received and sorted the archives, and worked on structuring them. Based on the collected materials, she and Sarah Lynn are working together to select the photos that will be included in the publication.
The book “Photo Chronicles of the War” will be the first and largest collection of photographs taken by Ukrainian artists who have documented the events of the war over the past 10 years. This is a unique project that brings together the work of many photographers, creating a deep and powerful archive of Ukraine's modern history. “This book is important for the entire history of documenting wars, because it has collected the works of those who live in the conditions of this war and feel it every day,” says Svitlana Bachevanova.
“Photo Chronicles of the War is more than a book. It is an archive of our history, our pain and struggle, which we preserve for future generations and show to the world. This cooperation strengthens the role of UAPP as a cultural and professional center of Ukrainian photography,” adds Olga Kovaleva.
Olha says that implementing such a large-scale project is always a challenge. According to her, one of the main difficulties was securing funding and coordinating the work of a large number of participants. “However, thanks to the support of the Open Society Foundations and the International Renaissance Foundation, we were able to overcome these barriers. The most important thing for us is to give photographers the opportunity to continue their work and know that their work is appreciated and supported,” says Olha.
“The most important thing for us is to give photographers the opportunity to continue their work and know that their work is appreciated and supported.” - Olha Kovaleva
A large part of the edition's circulation will be donated to libraries, including those affected by the war, as well as school libraries. The book is being presented at numerous festivals, from human rights and photojournalism festivals to panel discussions. “We presented the previous editions at 19 venues in Europe, and we will continue this practice. It is important to remind people that the war is still ongoing. We have to talk about it constantly,” emphasizes Svitlana.
Svitlana Bachevanova emphasizes that the implementation of the War Photo Chronicles project would not have been possible without the support of key partners: “This initiative became a reality thanks to the Open Society Foundations and the International Renaissance Foundation. They fully fund the project, and without their support we would not have been able to do it.”
The first exhibition “Photo Chronicles of War” will open at the Mystetskyi Arsenal on May 28, 2025. The event will coincide with the Book Arsenal and will become a powerful platform for discussions with photographers and the public. This event is a reminder of the ongoing war and the importance of the truth documented by Ukrainian photography.
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.
.jpg)
.png)
